Angels and Devils
by T. Drake
Summary: Action, suspense, and a hopeful romance. As the demon Fjerin and the psychotic Tsarakino loom on the horizon, can Botan come to terms with her growing feelings for Hiei, or will Hiei bring her to terms with the blade of his sword?
1. Prologue

**Angels and Devils, Part One: The Angel's Heart**

**Prologue**

The end had come at last. The tournament was nearing its completion, with only two teams left to face each other in the final rounds. Team Toguro facing off against Team Urameshi, in a four-round, technically five though neither team had a true fifth member, winner take all. Those she had come to know as her friends would now risk their lives, fighting, perhaps even dying, in a fight they had been forced to partake, against an enemy that may simply be too strong for them.

Her name was Botan. She had naturally blue hair, which she kept back in a ponytail behind her. Not a color commonly found in the world of the living, but where she came from, the world of Reikai, it wasn't all uncommon. She stood at 5'8, and had a nice, ladylike build beneath the loose articles she always wore. In this case, a magenta button-up shirt with pinstripes on it, and a pair of dark blue slacks. Not the gorgeous pink kimono she was notorious for, but casual enough to fit in. She was not one of the fighters here in the tournament, and a part of her was grateful for that. She had watched these boys fight, watched them get stronger, and seen the amazing things they were capable of, and she knew she couldn't match that. They had dedicated their lives to fighting, something she could definitely not boast, and it certainly showed in the way they fought. She was here technically on business, though she would have come anyway. These were her friends, as she knew them. The leader, Yusuke Urameshi, the brave if a little dimwitted Kozuma Kuwabara, the mysterious Kurama, and yes, even the dark, demon warrior, Hiei. She was concerned for all of them, and even moreso, now that her boss had stepped into the ring.

But to understand her concern, one must first understand her circumstances. At her old job, she had ferried the dead across the realms, to the land of Reikai. There, they would be judged, for good or ill, and an afterlife would be granted to them. Her last ferried soul had been Yusuke Urameshi, the boy whose team was fighting now in this horrifying tournament. His death had been a surprise, taking the government of Reikai by surprise, when this arrogant punk gave his life to shove a small child out of the way of an oncoming vehicle. Not knowing what to do with him, they restored Yusuke to life, and he eventually found himself playing Spirit Detective and hunting down the deadlier criminals, of psychics and of demons. Botan had been appointed his assistant when this happened, his liaison to her boss and now his, Lord Koenma of Reikai. In his time as Spirit Detective, Yusuke had made several allies, including his former rival Kuwabara, the reformed fox demon Kurama, and Hiei, another demon, one whose loyalties were questionable.

This tournament had been the beginning of very dark times. A mountain of a warrior, by the name of Toguro, had forced Yusuke to enter his team in a demonic competition, potentially to the death, between savage teams of demons from the dark, hellish realm of Makai, the home to savage demons, and of psychics from the realm of mortals. As a spirit of Reikai, Botan felt a little out of place. Though, she couldn't help but notice, the demon Hiei seemed to be in his element here. This was his environment more than anyone else's. And his turn had come, in the tournament. She watched, a blend of nervous anxiety and terrified excitement filling her body, because she knew what he intended to do.

At a mere 4'10, Hiei aroused Botan's curiosity, as something she couldn't quite understand. His black hair stood up, and made up about half a foot of his height, ending in little black spikes at the end. Just above his forehead dwelled a seven-pointed top half of what looked to be a star. Hiei dressed all in black, black pants, black boots, with a black, sleeveless shirt over his chest, the black accentuated by a white belt around his waist, which was usually matched by a white headband around his forehead. This time, however, the headband was gone, revealing his most dangerous weapon: embedded within his forehead was a third eye, with a violet iris reminiscent of a cat. This mysterious third eye was known as the Jigan Eye, and was not a natural growth. He had gone to great length to procure it, and weathered indescribable pain to take it into his forehead. Botan couldn't even begin to imagine the pain it must have given him.

As he stepped into the ring, she found herself wondering why. Why was he here? Hiei had commonly shown a dislike for every one of them. He had even threatened Botan with death, the day before the tournament began. He was cold, outright mean, to every member of the team. He was even disrespectful to Koenma, the princeling ruler of Reikai! What possible reason could he have for being here? Only Kurama would know for certain, as the reformed fox demon seemed to know Hiei better than anyone. And she had listened to his words, and tried to make sense of them, but it was difficult to understand. The more she thought about it, the more she began to wonder. When he'd witnessed a thousand opportunities to escape his service to Koenma, and well more opportunities to take his revenge against Yusuke, the man who had arrested him, why did Hiei not take them? He gave a harsh, cruel overtone of not caring for any of them, but now, she had begun to really wonder...could there be more meaning to Kurama's words? Was there really that much more to Hiei than meets the eye? He was an enigma, that much was certain. This was something she had to wonder.

When the fight began, she was met only with more questions. To win the match, to ensure that their team would not fail the tournament, that Yusuke's mission would not fail and that Yusuke could bring justice to Toguro, Hiei had unleashed his most devastating power. With the help of his Jigan Eye, he had summoned the most powerful, most vicious, and most uncontrollable demon of Makai into the ring, an enormous dragon composed entirely of black hellfire. This technique, known only as the Black Dragon Hellfire, was both dangerous and uncontrollable. The last time Hiei had used it, his entire arm had been consumed in the blaze, burned to a devastating crisp, and leaving him to spend hours, even days in solitude, forcing it to heal. Another pain that Botan couldn't begin to imagine. Why had he done this? He had taken on the Eye to find his lost sister, Yukina, but the Dragon? What reason could he have to take such a gamble? It was simply another enigma that Botan found herself trying to understand. Hiei had risked his life, perhaps even his soul, for the sake of Yusuke's mission. Why? What possible reason could he have for taking such a risk? Unless he really did care.

That revelation hit her like a flash. She struggled with the thought, and suddenly Kurama's words made sense. There really was more to Hiei than meets the eye. Behind that cold, careless facade, there was something deeper. She couldn't discern what, couldn't make it out yet. He was not a hero, that much was certain. He was not a noble hero, like Yusuke, nor was he a sweetheart, like Kuwabara. And he certainly wasn't a poetic soul like Kurama. But there was something, something that piqued her curiosity further. There were so many questions this fight had raised, so many questions she now wondered about Hiei. And she had no way of knowing, but she would have a lifetime ahead of her to find the answers.

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I know that in the English dub, they call it "Dragon of the Darkness Flame". However, in the translated manga, they call it "Black Dragon Hellfire". I had to pick a name to go with, and frankly, Black Dragon Hellfire just sounds a hell of a lot cooler. So that's what I'm going with.


	2. Chapter 1: Dreaming of You

**Chapter One: Dreaming of You**

The crowd had fallen deathly silent. Uncharacteristically silent, for this was a crowd that enjoyed nothing more than to cheer or boo for the fighters. Usually they were screaming for Team Urameshi to be torn apart, but this time, they weren't saying anything. Confused, Botan took a look around the stadium, only to find that they weren't there. The spectators were mysteriously absent, leaving the whole place empty and forgotten. "Well...that's weird..." she muttered to herself, then turned back behind her. "Keiko, Shizuru, we should–" she stopped, midsentence, to find that the girls she had come in with were gone as well. And now, she couldn't see Yusuke, Kurama, or Kuwabara. Not even Koenma was here. She was alone, and she was starting to get scared.

But no...she wasn't alone, not completely. For when she turned her attention back to the ring, there he was, standing alone in the center, his three eyes locked on her, studying her, examining her. Hiei, victorious from his match, began to walk towards her. Botan was scared at first, but as he raised his arms to her, beckoning her to come, she felt a warmth that she hadn't felt in a long time. Slowly, she started for him, but then stopped dead in her tracks when she heard that familiar howl, the one that had echoed in her nightmares since the first round of the tournament: the Black Dragon Hellfire.

Botan looked up, and there it was, the horrible, terrifying dragon, composed entirely of black fire. The creature circled in the sky, before dropping straight down behind Hiei, then rushing towards him, towards her, with its ravenous maw open to feed. "HIEI!" she screamed, but to no avail, as the dragon consumed Hiei from behind, then turned straight up, flying high into the sky, and leaving no trace of Hiei behind. There was only a blackened, charred patch on the ring where the demon had once been. Tears began to well up in Botan's eyes. She had been both afraid and intrigued by Hiei, but now he was gone, consumed by his own technique. And now, it was up there, flying ever higher, and she didn't know how long before it came back down for her.

But it never did. A brilliant flash illuminated the sky above the stadium, and the dragon exploded in a shower of glitter, which rained down and lit up the stadium like fireworks. The whole place shone white, and before Botan's eyes, where the dragon had exploded, there was now Hiei, with massive, white-feathered wings coming out of his back. This angelic Hiei smiled at her from his perch above, then slowly began to glide down to her, using his wings to angle him as he came to a landing before her. "Botan," he said with a lighter voice than she knew him to have, "There is something I've been wanting to tell you for so long."

Botan's heart skipped a beat. "What?" Her heart was fluttering in her chest, she could scarcely believe it.

This strange, angelic Hiei smiled, his wings slowly wrapping around Botan's body, and he spoke softly, like a dove. "Wake up."

Botan was confused. "Wait, what?"

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"Botan, wake up!" Botan was greeted by a familiar, somewhat annoying voice when she was pulled from the world of dreams. Ayame, one of her friends here in Reikai, had come to wake her. Ayame was the assistant to Botan's boss, Koenma. She had black hair, with dark bangs she kept brushed to the sides, out of her eyes, and a low topknot in the back. She wore a violet kimono similar to Botan's pink, and she had a frustrated look on her face at the moment as she lightly shoved Botan, who was still trying to get back to sleep. "Come on, wake up. Lord Koenma needs to see you!"

Finally, reluctantly, Botan rolled over to face Ayame. Without a word, unless a groan counts as a word, she started to push herself up into a sitting position. Wearing only a rose-colored satin nightgown, she stretched her arms, bending her right elbow so that her right hand could come back down and try to wipe the sleep from her eyes as she did. Finally, she got up the strength to speak, though her voice was still slightly broken from the sleep. "What's going on?"

Ayame shook her head. "I don't know. Lord Koenma sent me to fetch you, he said it was urgent, and that there wasn't any time to waste. He said he would explain when you were in his office, so hurry up and get dressed!" Ayame had a look of urgency on her face, one that Botan had seen before. There was only one thing Botan could be certain about, from the urgency in Ayame's voice and features: whatever it was, it involved a case for her Spirit Detective.

Ayame stood there, ushering Botan to hurry up and get dressed. Botan narrowed her eyes at Ayame's urgency, muttering, "A little privacy, please?" Ayame blushed, apologized quietly, then slipped out of the room. As soon as she was gone, Botan lowered her head and reached her right hand up to rub her forehead. The dream had come again, just like it did every night since the tournament, and she was still scraping to understand what it meant.

The tournament had been over for two weeks now. Team Urameshi had won, much to Botan's eternal relief. In the end, Koenma had wagered his life against that of the captain of Team Toguro, a silent yet insane man by the name of Sakyo, on Yusuke's final match with the champion of Team Toguro, the younger of the Toguro brothers. Everything was back to usual now, both in Reikai and down in the human world. Business as usual...except for the dreams.

Botan had not made any progress on figuring out Hiei, either. She figured that her efforts to understand him were probably the source of the dreams she was having. Sadly, he was a hard man to track and an even harder man to figure out. Any attempt she made ended with a cold shoulder. Her latest had ended with a death threat. She figured it best to leave him alone for a while after that.

It didn't take Botan too long to get dressed. Being in a hurry, she slipped her kimono on over her nightgown, then hurried to the mirror to check her hair. Her long, blue hair stuck to her face and stood up in a few places, from the night's tossing. She sprayed it down quickly, then grabbed a ponytail band and tied her hair back into the ponytail she was known for. After slipping on her socks and sandals, she was ready to go, and hurried out the door. Ayame had already left, and a part of her was somewhat thankful for that. No need to have Ayame rushing her down the hallway. After all, she could do that just fine by herself.

Putting her thoughts of the mysterious dreams aside, Botan hurried into Koenma's office. "I'm here!" she exclaimed as she jogged to Koenma's desk. She was only mildly surprised to find Kurama there and waiting. It seemed she wasn't the only one called in for this particular briefing. Kurama had stood through Koenma's briefings a couple times in the past, so it wasn't too surprising to find him here. Still, she was even more curious by his presence here. "What's going on?"

Kurama had a very serious expression on his face, which was somewhat surprising to Botan. Whenever he had that look, something big was happening. Kurama stood at 5'11", with long, ruby red hair that flowed down past his waist, and seemed to spike naturally around the sides. He was dressed in red, with a red jacket covering his upper body, rimmed by gold around the zipper in the front, and accentuated by red slacks. His green eyes seemed to sparkle like emeralds, and only served to brighten his already impressive facial structure. Kurama was frighteningly attractive, this was something Botan had noticed several times before. He was a very handsome, if a bit effeminate, man.

Kurama stood to Botan's left as she approached Koenma's desk. Sitting in his chair behind it was Koenma, princeling ruler of Reikai. Koenma had the basic appearance of a toddler, something that Yusuke had never learned not to make jokes about. He wore a blue shirt with yellow pants, and had a red sash tied around his waist. A large, blue hat completed the ensemble, with a pink rim around it emblazoned with the letters "Jr". He also had a sky blue pacifier that he was always sucking on. Koenma had the power to assume a teenager form, and had done so at the Dark Tournament. However, Botan had yet to figure out when, why, or how he did this.

Botan stared into the eyes of Kurama's sober expression, and was immediately filled with worry. Something bad was happening, that much was certain. She felt strangely comforted by those strong eyes she saw, but that didn't make her any less worried. And her fears were only realized by Kurama's words. "We have a...situation."


	3. Chapter 2: The Preemptive Calm

**Chapter Two: The Pre-emptive Calm**

The days since the Dark Tournament had come and gone for Yusuke Urameshi, the Spirit Detective. He had returned, for now, to his normal life, in his normal town, with his normal girlfriend, Keiko Yukimura. Yusuke was approximately 5'8" in height. He wore his black hair straight back, slicked and greased and kept out of his dark, brown eyes. At the moment, he was dressed in his green mockery of the school uniform. Buttoned up shirt in the front, with casual pants completing the ensemble. Yusuke wore his green, even though the dress code stated blue.

It had been a calm, peaceful return to skipping school and brawling with punks, with Yusuke defending his title as the top dog of Sarayashiki Junior High. Some days, he felt bad about beating up these punks, because they had no chance in Makai of ever actually winning the fight. While they were strutting about eying his position in a school hierarchy, he'd been facing the ludicrous level of power of the younger Toguro brother in the Dark Tournament. However, this was not one of those days.

CRACK!

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, just don't hurt me!" whimpered a blonde-haired punk, as Yusuke shoved him back against the wall and raised his fist to strike. The punk wore the blue uniform, just like everyone who had already been put down. The defeated groaned on the ground, six of them, and this was the last. "I swear I didn't know she was your–" Another powerful impact to the right temple allowed this poor sap to join his friends on the ground.

With the fallen around him, lying prone in the vacant lot where Yusuke had cornered them, the Spirit Detective turned and walked right out. He stopped only briefly, casting a glance over his shoulder and speaking to any who may still be conscious. "Tell your friends. Spread the word. Yusuke Urameshi's back, and he's taking back his claim." With that, he left these idiots to their recovery, and rejoined Kuwabara, already waiting for him at the fence just outside.

To think that these two had once been such bitter rivals...so much had changed since Yusuke had become Spirit Detective. At 6'3", Kuwabara had once been a contender for Yusuke's title as the baddest punk in Sarayashiki Junior High. He wore the blue uniform of their high school, the same button-up shirt and pants as Yusuke. Kuwabara had powerful features that denoted a fighter, along with naturally curly red hair that hung down just in front of his face and dark brown eyes. He had fought beside Yusuke since near the beginning, after meeting up with him accidentally on his second mission as Spirit Detective. He possessed a very strong sixth sense, which had proven an asset a number of times on Yusuke's missions. They had once been bitter rivals, each enjoying nothing more than pummeling the crap out of the other. But now, the two were practically inseparable.

With Keiko away visiting her grandparents, Yusuke had been left bored out of his mind. Then he heard from one of Kuwabara's friends that one of the local gangs had made a move on his territory. Tried to take his claim, his territory, and even his Keiko, back when he was away training with his real teacher, and elderly yet extremely powerful psychic by the name of Genkai. And he couldn't just let that slip, especially not after the guy had gone for Keiko.

Dropping down in a chair at the local food court, Yusuke sighed. Now that the idiots were taken care of, he had nothing to do once more. He was not above venting his frustrations aloud, something that some of his friends had become bothered with. "I'm bored," he muttered, then turned his attention to Kuwabara. Immediately, he lifted an eyebrow, when he noticed his friend had refrained from taking a seat. Instead, the psychic was slowly scanning the food court with his eyes, and he looked somewhat bothered. "Hey, Kuwabara! Anyone in there?" Yusuke asked, which shook Kuwabara out of his trance.

"Huh? Nothing. It's...probably nothing." He took his seat, although the bothered expression didn't leave his face. Which, in turn, bothered Yusuke. Kuwabara may be a dim-witted brute, but he was a psychic dim-witted brute. When he felt something, it usually meant something. He took his own look around, but all he saw were a few kids from their school, talking in hushed whispers amongst themselves. They did that often these days, it seemed, whenever he or Kuwabara were around. Rumors were flying like wildfire about their mysterious absences.

"What happened to them?"

"It's like, they were bitter rivals one day, then best friends the next! What's going on?"

"I heard them talking about Urameshi's gun once."

"Urameshi has a gun!"

"That's what they were saying. Talking about him blasting some guy to pieces with his gun! His...um...speargun!"

"Urameshi has a gun...no wonder everyone's afraid of him!"

There was one man at the table, however, that didn't say a word. He had blonde hair that went straight down to his shoulders, and serene, blue eyes. He sat back in his chair, listening to the talk, listening to the rambling, and appeared lost in thought. His eyes, however, never left that table where Yusuke and Kuwabara were seated. He paid little attention to the idiot prattle of these children, he had deeper concerns on his mind. So, this was the great Yusuke Urameshi, that he had heard so much about. He couldn't help but wonder just what the champion was capable of, and he continued to watch him. Once evening finally began to fall, and the idiot children scattered, the man stood up slowly, his eyes still locked on their table. Yusuke and Kuwabara had resorted to reminiscing about some creatures called Saint Beasts, which the man paid little attention to. He approached their table carefully, cautiously, deciding it would be best to choose his words wisely.

Yusuke stopped talking abruptly when he saw the man approach. "Whaddya want?" he addressed the man bruskly, then stopped and noticed that Kuwabara's hair was slightly bristling.

The man smiled, dropping all pretense as he spoke, though his voice carried a snide tone of arrogance. "Detective Urameshi...it is such an honor to finally meet you. I must say, I am a big fan." That last part was said in a condescending tone, to match the smirk that had traced across his face.

The use of the word "Detective" set off warning alarms in Yusuke's head. And now Kuwabara was sweating, he was definitely feeling something. "Careful, Urameshi," the taller man warned. "There's something seriously not right about this guy."

Yusuke curled his lip up in a snarl of dominance. This strange man did not have him spooked. "Yeah, you know my name, and from the sound of it, you probably know what I can do." With these words, he curled back his last three fingers and lifted his thumb up like a trigger, pointing his gun-shaped hand towards the stranger. His left hand came up and wrapped around the wrist, to brace it. The perfect position for firing his Spirit Gun. "So why don't you tell me who you are, before I get angry."

The man's smirk never faded, as the gun hand lifted towards him. "I can assure you, that would do no good," but before he could finish, he was cut off.

"Then you won't mind if I test that, will you?" A blue light began to shine at the tip of Yusuke's finger, a spark of the energy he was building up.

The man stood silent for a moment, his eyes locked on Yusuke's finger as the weapon charged, then finally, he submitted. "My name is Yoshi Tsarakino. I have a...special interest...in your business. But I can see that you're busy, entertaining peasants." His eyes fell directly on Kuwabara with that line. "We can do this another time."

That arrogant smirk never leaving his face, Tsarakino turned to go. Yusuke's finger brimmed with energy, he was not about to let this snide bastard walk away. "Oh, no. My Spirit Gun is fully charged now, and I don't believe you can weather the blast as easily as you claim to. Now, why are you here, and what do you want from me?"

The man didn't even stop walking, sending back his response. "Maybe I can't, but I don't believe that you would discharge a weapon that powerful in the middle of a metropolis packed with innocent bystanders. Your move, Detective."

"I don't have to." Yusuke's response was short and to the point, as he released the energy back into his body, then leapt from his chair. He struck fast and hard, with all the tenacity that had made him the toughest punk in Sarayashiki, driving his fist down through Tsarakino. The man went down hard, and Yusuke didn't relent. "Now, tell me–"

Yusuke was cut off, however, by a blast of black smoke emanating from the man. This mysterious black smoke enveloped Tsarakino, and dissipated in a matter of seconds. But nothing remained where he had lain. Enraged, Yusuke drove his fist down into the cement beneath his feet, cracking it. "Dammit, he got away."

Kuwabara slowly rose to his feet, his expression impressively spooked. It wasn't often he felt something as strange and confusing as what he had felt today. Yusuke turned back his gaze to Kuwabara, deciding to hand this question over to the psychic. "What did you feel back there, anyway? What was he? A demon?"

Kuwabara shook his head slowly, still trying to analyze just what this strange feeling the man had given off was. "Not a demon, I can say that for certain. He felt human, he just...I don't know. They felt human, I guess."

That had piqued Yusuke's curiosity, and he couldn't help but ask now. "They?"

Kuwabara nodded, his face solemn, and slightly worried. "From what I got off that man...I don't know. If I didn't know better, I would swear he had two souls."


	4. Chapter 3: Tension Mounting

**Chapter Three: Tension Mounting**

"WHAAAT!" Botan's shriek could be heard echoing in the corridors of the palace. This...this was bad. "How can that...I mean, how is that possible?"

Botan had just finished being briefed on the next assignment for Yusuke. As Spirit Detective, it was his job to hunt down creatures like this horrifying beast, and it was her job as his assistant to deliver the orders and to do whatever she could to help him. She knew that Yusuke would not be happy to hear this, however. He'd only been back from the Dark Tournament for a couple weeks, he had probably been looking forward to some rest after that horrifying experience. And this...this could potentially be worse. "How can something like that exist, Koenma? I mean, I've seen it before, but not on this scale!"

Koenma sighed, resting his hands on a folder on his desk. He pushed it to Botan, gesturing for her to open it. "I don't know, but it does. I don't know how it could have gotten this strong without us knowing about it. I've heard that he comes directly from Makai, so that shouldn't be too much of a surprise, I guess. They have some...very strange things down in Makai."

As Botan knew well, Makai was the world of demons. Hiei, who even now had begun to occupy her thoughts, had come directly from Makai. And Kurama, to her left, had once dwelled there. It was the place that demons called home, and there were intensely powerful monstrosities in the deepest regions. But this didn't sound like one of those. "How good is he? I mean...Yusuke can take him, can't he?"

Kurama smiled just a bit, fielding this question. "What little reports we've managed to gather on him suggest that his fighting skills still leave something to be desired. Yusuke could beat him, certainly...but the trick is in reaching him. His gifts make that difficult. He doesn't have to fight; he has an army to do that for him."

As much as she hated to admit it, Botan had to put her questions on Hiei aside for now. This was more urgent, and there would be plenty of time to figure him out after this demon had been dealt with. "Okay," she sighed, "I'll go tell Yusuke."

Koenma nodded his head. "Thank you, Botan." Botan turned to go, but was stopped when she heard Koenma's voice again. "Kurama, I want you to find Hiei. What reports we have are sketchy at best. If anyone knows what's going on in Makai, it's going to be Hiei." Botan stopped for a moment, her mind hovering on that little piece. If Hiei was coming here, this may be her chance to...no, no, she had to focus. The mission was more important, she could worry about Hiei later. She only hoped there would be a later.

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Night had fallen over the city, and Yusuke Urameshi had retired to his home. The place had become little more to him than a place to stay the night, but it wasn't much of a loss. As he approached the apartment complex, he noticed the light was out. He didn't give it too much thought, however, as all it probably meant was that his mother was out getting herself plastered drunk, as opposed to staying in and getting herself plastered drunk. No big deal, really.

However, when he arrived on the doorstep and reached for the knob, he thought he could feel something different about the place. Something seemed off, though he couldn't quite place it. Slowly, carefully, he twisted the knob and eased the door open. The hinges made an eerie creak as the door swung open, meeting Yusuke with a dark, drab looking hallway. Keeping an eye out, he traced his fingers along the wall, finding the light switch and flicking it on. The light illuminated the hallway, revealing the typical trash and empty bottles dwelling on the floor that he had come to associate with this place.

With cautious steps, he eased himself down the hall, listening and looking for anything that could be out of place. And then he heard it in the room to his left, in the kitchen. Behind the door, there was a rustling sound, the sound of the bottles and garbage being disturbed on the floor. He wasn't alone in this place, and had to wonder just what was behind there. The lights had been off, so it couldn't be his mother. Was it a simple burglar, or was it a demon looking to ambush him in his sleep? Whatever it was, he was ready for it. Bringing his gun hand up, he began to charge his Spirit Gun, just as he had that afternoon. He could fire up to four blasts from his fingertip per day, and he still had all of today's charges. If it was a demon, it would regret messing with the champion of the Dark Tournament.

Bracing his wrist with his left hand, Yusuke kicked down the door, pointing his Spirit Gun straight at the source of the sound. "Freeze and drop whatever y...you're..." Yusuke almost fell over from the sheer stupidity of the moment. For there it was, rustling, sifting through the garbage, the creature that he had become so worked up over...here and now, he had his Spirit Gun aimed and charged to blow away a common rat.

Yusuke laughed at himself for getting so worked up. After putting his finger away, he left the rat alone with the words, "Good luck, we ran out of food three days ago." He closed the door on the rat, and headed for his bedroom. He just barely missed the rat turning its attention back up to the door for a moment, and the green glow that overtook its eyes for a couple seconds. It closed its eyes, and when it opened them again, they were normal. Immediately, the rat leapt off the empty bottle it was perched on and followed to the door. Zipping through a hole that had been chewed in the wall, it followed after Yusuke,

Yusuke stepped into his room, through the door at the end of the hall. There wasn't much to this place, just a mattress to sleep on and a dresser on the side wall. The mattress wasn't the most comfortable, but he'd had worse sleep during his training in the mountains with Genkai. Just having a mattress felt like a luxury to him now. Hell, just getting to stand on his own feet rather than balance by his fingertip on a sharp spike felt like a luxury to him after what Genkai had put him through.

He dropped down hard onto the mattress, savoring the feel of something moderately soft beneath him. His thoughts wandered to Keiko first, wondering where in Japan she was now, and if she was enjoying herself with her grandparents. But no matter how hard he tried to focus on her, his thoughts kept going back to that morning, to the mystery that was Yoshi Tsarakino. The man had been quick to come and quick to leave, which begged the question of why he had come at all. What was he doing there, and why? Yusuke almost felt like he'd been tested, but why? And what had this man meant about a special interest in his business? Was he referring to Yusuke's job as Spirit Detective? And what had Kuwabara meant by two souls? Was that even possible? He'd have to remember to ask Botan or Kurama about that one.

Things were just getting more and more complicated. Yusuke rolled over onto his side and rest his head on his pillow, while his thoughts kept returning to Tsarakino. He didn't even see the rat from the kitchen, which had now taken up a place behind his dresser, its eyes constantly watching him. He did, however, notice the rumbling crash in the hallway, as a great deal of trash and bottles were forced out of place and something moderately heavy hit the floor. The rat couldn't be that heavy, so what was– "Dammit, Yusuke, how can your mother live like this!" He knew that tone, and he knew that feminine voice with the English accent. Botan was here.

If the rat could smile, it would. Things were just about to get interesting, and it tucked itself back into its crevasse beneath the dresser so as to eavesdrop without being noticed. It listened as Yusuke headed down the hall to help the newcomer. It couldn't recognize the voice, but it sounded female. From the reports of the tournament, this was likely either the brown-haired girlfriend, the blue-haired assistant, the light brown haired psychic, or the gray-haired master. It sounded too young to be the old crone, and he doubted the psychic had much interaction with Urameshi, which left only two options.

The hallway was filled with laughter, and the sound of Botan's protests. "Don't laugh, help me up!" Botan had tripped on one of the bottles and done a faceplant into a mountain of trash. She was not a happy spirit right now, even as Yusuke offered her his hand and helped her to her feet. "I swear, one of these days I'm sending you an ogre to take care of all this garbage."

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad." Yusuke's mood was lightened by Botan's clumsy arrival, and he led her back into his room, where he could sit on the mattress and talk. He didn't know why she was here, though he had a sneaking suspicion it had something to do with the events of this morning. This was the perfect time to ask her about Tsarakino, to find out if she knew anything, but before the opportunity came along, Botan spoke.

"We have a bit of a situation on our hands, one that needs the work of a Spirit Detective. There's a fairly nasty demon that's been spotted in your area."

Yusuke nodded his head, thinking back to that afternoon. "I think I met him already. Pretty creepy guy. I would've had him, but he has this black smoke trick for disappearing."

Botan was surprised to hear this. Koenma had told her the demon was still in hiding, and had not shown itself yet. "Well...that's good to hear, I guess. What did he say?"

Yusuke shrugged his shoulders. "Something about being interested in my 'business', he called it. He seemed in a hurry to get in and out, though. I'm not sure if he was being serious or not. Whatever he was doing, this Tsarakino guy seems to have Kuwabara on edge."

Botan blinked her eyes, now confused. "Tsarakino?"

Yusuke nodded his head. "Yeah, Yoshi Tsarakino. Isn't he the demon you were talking about?"

Slowly, confusedly, Botan shook her head. "Um...no...the demon I was told about is named Fjerin."


	5. Chapter 4: The Black Mist

**Chapter Four: The Black Mist**

As Hiei had last been spotted in the human world, Kurama returned to Japan to begin his search. It was difficult to believe, from one look at him, that this compassionate man had once been a the proud spirit fox, Youko Kurama. So much of him had changed since he had come to this world. Kurama had once been a legendary thief, but that time had passed. He was injured during one of his escapes, and needed to hide while he recovered. He chose a fetus still growing within a human mother's womb, and inhabited the body before a soul could be called for it. He had, since then, grown up as the human boy Sooichi Minamino. But what he hadn't expected was that he would grow to truly love his human life. He had changed so much, become so human, that he had once offered up his life to a mystical mirror called the Forlorn Hope, in exchange for his human mother to be cured of her deathly illness.

So much of his life had changed, and yet, so much was still the same. His human life had been interrupted by that of his spirit. He couldn't have a truly human life, because in truth, he was not truly human. While it was true that he was no longer the Youko Kurama of the past, it was also true that he was not Sooichi Minamino, not exactly. He was just...Kurama.

And right now, he was Kurama standing right outside the doorstep of the Minamino residence. It was getting late now, and Sooichi needed to check in with his mother, so that she would not worry about him while Kurama searched for Hiei. He drew in a deep breath, then let out a sigh of regret. He hated having to lie to his mother like this, but he couldn't exactly tell her that he was going out searching for a demon to go hunt another demon, could he?

He twisted the knob and pushed the door open, stepping inside quickly. He needed to make this quick, because time was short. "Mother?" he called into the quiet apartment, "Are you home?" His footsteps echoed in the hall as he walked, his eyes scanning for his mother, before he heard her response. "I'm in here, sweetie!" his mother responded, her voice full of maternal care. Her voice had come from the kitchen, and so that's where he stopped.

"Hello, mother," Kurama smiled from the door. "How is your leg?" She had finally come home from the hospital recently, but had a relapsed fall and pulled something in her leg. His mother had been dying in the hospital some time back, which had been why Kurama had tried to sacrifice himself to the Forlorn Hope. But Yusuke wouldn't let him do this. Inspired by Kurama's love for his human mother, something he hadn't expected to see from a demon, he had offered his own life to the Forlorn Hope to keep it from taking Kurama's. The mirror had been moved by this act of selflessness, and had granted Kurama's wish and healed his mother without taking any lives.

"It's doing much better, Sooichi." His mother looked at him, curling one side of her lip up in a smirk. "But thank you for asking."

That smirk sent a chill down Kurama's spine. It was uncharacteristic of his mother, and it faded quickly, almost like an accident. "Are you alright, mother?" He asked, while he raised one of his eyebrows. Something definitely seemed amiss, but he wasn't certain he had the time to focus on it right now. He needed to go find Hiei.

"I'm fine, Kurama. Don't you worry about me." The mother smiled once more. Kurama's eyes were now facing the window, and he couldn't help but notice it was dark now. Finding Hiei would be that much harder now that he couldn't see, but...no, Hiei preferred the dark anyway. Perhaps this would work to his advantage.

"I need to go out for a while, mother. I'll be back as soon as I can." Something was setting off warning bells in Kurama's head, but he was too distracted to ascertain what.

"Okay, Sooichi. You go have fun, and don't you worry your head about me."

Kurama gave his mother a peck on the cheek, and hugged her once before departing. However, once he was out the door, he stopped once more and looked back. Something had been very wrong in there, but he couldn't quite place what. His mother had acted very strangely, even said things that were unbefitting of her. And what was that smirk about? She didn't–

Wait...did she just call him Kurama? There it was, the big, red, flashing warning alarm. His mother didn't know that name. She had no idea about any of his demonic exploits. To her, he was just her beloved son, Sooichi. Kurama felt the dread growing in the pit of his stomach, and turned back to the door. Something was terribly wrong with his mother, and he was going to find out–

"Hey, Sooichi!" A shrill, feminine voice grabbed his attention, distracting him from his return. He turned his head, and standing down at the end of the complex was Kimiko Natsuyaki, a girl he knew from school. The prissy, popular girl had always turned down her nose at him for his intelligence. Sooichi was the brain at his high school, owed mainly to the fact that Kurama already knew all the material. He had been struggling to keep his intelligence from showing completely, but it was difficult to maintain, which was why he remained at the top of the class.

"Kimiko?" he called to her, with a questioning curiosity in his voice. This was very unusual to be visited by one of the girls in his school, especially one as antagonistic towards him as she was. "What are you doing here?" The night was getting stranger and stranger, as she approached him. A predatory smirk lived on her face, and a chill washed over Kurama when he recognized it as the same smirk he had seen for a second on his mother.

"I have a favor to ask of you," the girl started, but she didn't stop walking. Once she got within a couple feet, Kurama started stepping back, but the girl forced herself towards him. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her head dropped to his chest, and that same predatory smirk grew larger on her face. "You think I'm pretty, don't you, Sooichi?"

This was very strange. Kurama pushed the girl away, gripping her by the shoulders. "What are you doing, Kimiko? Why are you here?"

Kimiko curled her lip up in a pout. "You don't think I'm pretty?" She started to sniffle, and Kurama sighed. He was too busy to be dealing with this.

"Yes, I think you're very pretty. What does that have to do with anything?"

The pout vanished, replaced by the smirk. "Then you'll help me, right? I really need you to help me. You're the only one who can, without tipping off that big jerk!"

Big jerk? There were several big jerks at their high school, but somehow, he couldn't help but wonder if she meant something more than that. "What big jerk?"

Kimiko pouted again. "The big jerk that hit me this afternoon. He's not going to help me. I need you to do it, please!"

Kurama sighed. The moral side of him now ached, wanting to find the big jerk that had hit Kimiko. But...there were no marks on her. This only confused things further. "Who hit you?"

Kimiko smirked once more, and Kurama couldn't help but note how quickly she went from pouting to arrogant. "The big jerk that loves to hit people. You should know who I'm talking about, Sooichi. Or, would you prefer I call you Kurama?" There they were, the warning alarms going off once more in his head.

Kurama gripped Kimiko by the shoulders now. Something hadn't seemed right, but now, something seemed horribly wrong, just as it had with his mother. "What is going on? How do you know my name, who are you? You're not Kimiko."

Kimiko shoved Kurama hard to push him off, then laughed at him. "Fine, if you really must know. You can call me Yoshi. Yoshi Tsarakino."

This left Kurama slightly stunned. He didn't know what he expected her to say, but a man's name definitely wasn't it. "Yoshi?" He hadn't heard that particular name before, but all that told him was that this person didn't go to his school. And now he was trying to make sense of it...was Kimiko a shapeshifter? "What do you want from me?"

Kimiko's smirk never left her face. "I want you, Kurama. More specifically, my master wants you. We are the Tomorrow, and the future is ours. You are going to help us get what we need. My master wants access to the palace of Reikai and you are going to deliver that. I would do it myself, but that red-haired idiot sounds like he could identify me, and I am not getting caught in that place." The red-haired idiot was undoubtedly Kuwabara, who had a very powerful sixth sense.

"Why would I help you?" Kurama asked. If Kimiko knew who he was, then she would undoubtedly know his meanings. What made her believe that he would join this...Tomorrow?

"I never said you would," Kimiko menaced. "Not of your own volition, of course." She lunged at him, but he pulled back, out of her grip. Her right hand dropped into her jeans pocket, pulling out a small, black vial, and she made a second effort to get to him. But before she could move, a powerful blow cracked across the back of her head, and she hit the ground hard.

"How many warnings do you need before you start fighting back?" the demon questioned, having appeared seemingly out of nowhere, now standing over the unconscious body of Kimiko. Hiei, the three-eyed demon, with his headband firmly wrapped over his Jigan Eye, now bent down over Kimiko and took the vial from her hand. Kurama had no way of knowing, but Hiei had just saved his freedom. "Hmm...Black Mist vial. Potent device."

Kurama had barely even seen the blow, Hiei had moved too fast. But all the same, he was relieved to see him. His job was now complete, he had found Hiei, even if Hiei had actually been the one to find him. He didn't even ask why Hiei was here, the two were almost kindred souls. This wouldn't be the first time he had entertained Hiei's company because the demon had nothing better to do. "It's good to see you, Hiei. We have a situation on our hands, regarding a demon named Fjerin."

Hiei softly kicked Kimiko's unconscious form, to accentuate his point. "You also have a situation regarding a girl with a mysterious aura and the mass production of Black Mist."

"Black Mist?" Kurama asked. He hadn't heard of Black Mist before, and his eyes fell on the vial. "Is that some kind of weapon?"

Hiei laughed for a moment, by Kurama's lack of knowledge. He didn't think there was anything in Makai that Kurama didn't know about, but as Black Mist came from the deepest, most terrifying realms of it, it wasn't as surprising as it could be. "Black Mist is an interdimensional tool used for ferrying prey to the nastiest demons of Makai. The mist appears like fog in places on Makai, and anything living that gets caught in its grip is forced like a pin through a hole into the lowest regions, where the demons who control it are waiting to eat. Think of it like an instant means of transportation from one place to another, even between dimensions. All you need is a central location of Black Mist, and you can use pieces of it to transport things instantly back to the main location." Hiei held up the vial, gesturing with it. "If someone is mass producing these, that means anyone or anything can get from any one place to any second place." As one final example, Hiei cast the vial directly at one of the trees standing in the woods outside Kurama's home. The vial shattered immediately upon striking the tree, and Black Mist enveloped it. The Mist dissipated within seconds, but when it was gone, so was the tree. Not even a trace was left.

Kurama watched the display, and the feeling of dread returned to his stomach. If Black Mist was being mass-produced, then even the biggest, nastiest, most powerful demons of Makai could have an instant means of entering the human world. this could be the most dangerous thing the human world had faced thus far.


	6. Chapter 5: The Mystery of Tomorrow

**Chapter Five: The Mystery of Tomorrow**

This had been a particularly bad day for Shizuru Kuwabara, as she found herself struggling to get some sleep and rest up for the next. The 17-year-old older sister to Kozuma Kuwabara was still having difficulty coming down from the Dark Tournament. She had light brown hair, that came down to her shoulders, and at 5'8", she was the tallest of the girls she knew. Her attitude was never one to take lightly, and it tended to frighten even the boys at times. She had a quiet, reserved, and almost uncaring personality, that made it all the more frightening when she got angry. She had not been a competitor in the tournament, but her baby brother had, and as much as she refused to admit it, she did care about him. He could have been killed, and almost had been several times, but that's not what really had her going.

During the tournament, she had met a man named Sakyo. Perhaps not the most handsome man she'd ever met, but there was something about him that had enticed her interest. However, there were no doves for Shizuru, for she had found herself interested in the wrong man. Sakyo had been the manager for Team Toguro, the amazing team that her brother's team had found themselves facing in the final round. Although Shizuru didn't know the history between the two teams, there was definitely bad blood in the air during the matches. She had never seen her brother fight as ferociously as he did during his match with the disgusting elder Toguro brother, who had possessed the ability to move around pieces of his body anywhere else on his body at will, giving him a sort of gelatinous body structure and making him nearly invulnerable.

But the central point of her pain was the final match. The two managers for the team, the Sakyo she had come to admire and Team Urameshi's manager, a strange man who sucked on a pacifier, by the name of Koenma, had struck an agreement. They had both needed to stand in for a fifth member on their teams, but because neither of them had any fighting ability, them fighting the final match would be a major disappointment. So instead, they wagered it on a fight between the two team captains, Yusuke Urameshi, her little brother's friend, and the hulking brute that was the younger Toguro brother. The wager was their lives.

"You stupid jerk..." Shizuru muttered as she turned over in her bed, struggling with herself to keep the tears from coming. She would not cry, she was certain of that. She didn't need to cry. But her mind kept racing back to that fateful time, after the match was finished. Koenma had refused to take Sakyo's life, but Sakyo was not without his honor. He had made a wager, and he was going to live up to it. He set the entire stadium to self-destruct, burying himself and his dreams with it. Shizuru had tried to get to him, tried to make him come, but Koenma had taken her out of the stadium before it could collapse. This wasn't like in the movies, where the building falls apart and then the man comes walking out of the dust. She had seen a large piece of granite fall from the ceiling, crushing Sakyo beneath it. She had watched him die, and Botan had confirmed his demise afterwards.

Though she still refused to show any emotion to her brother or the rest of his friends, she often found her thoughts tracing back to Sakyo. She wanted to see him again, wanted him to be okay, but she knew that he never would be. And part of her felt cold inside every time she thought about him, every time she remembered that horrible tournament. The days had passed by slowly since then, and every day was harder than the last. She didn't know if she had the strength to carry on.

There came a pounding in her head, and she cursed. That was something she definitely didn't need. She had already had...oh, wait. Slowly, she sat up from her bed, as she realized the pounding was actually coming from the front door. Dammit, it's 9 o'clock at night, who the hell comes calling at this godforsaken hour? Slipping on a black bathrobe with a light gold rim around the edges, Shizuru made her way out of her room and to the front door. Whoever this was had better have a good excuse for disturbing her, or there would be pain. Lots and lots of pain.

The locks clicked open, and the door slid just a few inches, to let Shizuru see who it was. And part of her was not surprised to find one of Kuwabara's idiot friends, the red-haired Kurama, standing on the other side. Of course, that's who comes calling at this hour. People with no lives. "What do you want?" Shizuru brusquely shoved the question at him, before she saw what lay in his arms. A young girl, probably around Keiko's age, with dark, black hair that streamed down to her shoulders, lay unconscious in his arms. "And what is _that_, and why are you bringing it here?"

"There is no time to explain," Kurama urged. "We need to speak to Kuwabara, and we need to use the phone. Please, it's an emergency. I would not have come so late at night if it were not." He had an awful lot of needs for a late-night caller, but she had to admit, he at least had courtesy with them.

Reluctantly, Shizuru pulled the door open to allow Kurama to bring the girl inside. Although she couldn't help but wonder at his choice of words. "We?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Aw, yeah! High score! Beat that, chumps!" Kuwabara gloated at the screen on his computer, as his beloved kitten sat nestled in his lap. He had just dominated the high score of _Rock-em Sock-em_, some random game he had found on the internet. He was the great Kuwabara, and nothing could–

"So this is what you do in your spare time. I think I miss not knowing." That voice sent a chill down his spine, that dark, emotionless voice. Kuwabara jumped from his seat, snatching his kitten up protectively to keep it away from the demon. Sitting there, in the window frame of his open bedroom window, was Hiei.

Kuwabara cradled his kitten to his chest with one hand, while he pointed the other at Hiei. "You...you...go away! I don't...you shouldn't be here! What are you doing here!" His finger shook lightly, but he kept his firm stance. He would never admit it, but he was afraid of Hiei, after seeing what he could do on their first mission together. He knew Hiei's incredible speed, and after seeing Hiei fuse with the Black Dragon Hellfire at the tournament, he was afraid. But this was something he kept deep inside, and would never allow to come to light.

Hiei turned his head to look out the window, to take his eyes off the disgusting sight that was the human Kuwabara. "Wondering why I let you people drag me into this shit." he answered, before the door came open and Kurama hurried into the room, followed reluctantly by Shizuru.

Kuwabara breathed a sigh of relief when Kurama entered the room. He did not want to be alone with Hiei, oh hell no. He didn't want to be anywhere near Hiei, but at least having Kurama around would better the odds. But his relief faded when he saw the unconscious girl in Kurama's arms, and he couldn't help but ask. "Um...who's that?"

Kurama answered quickly, and to the point. "Her name is Kimiko Natsuyaki. She's a girl at my school. She came after me tonight, called herself Yoshi Tsarakino."

That name sent a chill down Kuwabara's spine. He remembered Tsarakino from this afternoon, but...he hadn't been this girl. That was strange. "I...um...I met a Yoshi Tsarakino too...I mean, it wasn't this girl, but I did meet this weird guy calling himself Tsarakino."

Kurama laid the girl down to rest on Kuwabara's bed, making sure her head had a soft resting place on the pillow before turning his attention back to Kuwabara. "We need you to call Yusuke. There is something very serious going on, and–"

As if on cue, the phone rang. Everyone's eyes turned to the phone, and a feeling of dread washed over Kuwabara. Things were about to get ugly, he knew it. Slowly, his hand reached for the phone, and he lifted it from the base and set it against his ear. "Hello?"

There was a moment of tense silence, before Kuwabara turned his attention up to the others. "It's Urameshi...he thinks we should get the group together..."

Once Urameshi and Botan had arrived at Kuwabara's house, the meeting began. Hiei stuck to his perch on the windowsill, absently staring out away from the horrible house he loathed. Kuwabara sat backwards on his chair, resting his head on his arms, which sat on the back of the chair. Yusuke had taken the floor, it's where he felt most comfortable, and he sat cross-legged there while Kurama took a seat on the bed, beside the unconscious Kimiko. Botan stood by the wall, a potentially dangerous distance from Hiei. She knew he would not appreciate her proximity to his windowsill perch, but she wanted to gauge his reaction. At least, that's what she told herself. What she told neither herself nor anyone else was that she had stifled a shrill pleasure giggle when she found out Kurama had located Hiei.

Kurama had been the first to relate his experience to the others. He told them about the strange way his mother had been acting, and about the mystery appearance of Kimiko. After Hiei had rendered her unconscious, he had gone back to check on his mother, despite Hiei's protests that it was a waste of time. She had been doing well, and seemed better now. That eerie feeling was gone from her, and she even mentioned that she thought she'd been acting peculiar earlier.

Yusuke and Kuwabara were next, to relate the story of their afternoon encounter with Yoshi Tsarakino. Whatever was going on, there was no doubt that it concerned this strange man, especially after the revelation Kurama gave. Yoshi Tsarakino had called himself a part of something known as the Tomorrow. This was not the first time Kurama had heard of the Tomorrow. This was not even the first time today.

"Okay, let's go over this again," Yusuke spoke with a leader's voice. "Make sure we haven't missed anything."

Botan took a deep breath, then turned her attention to the rest of the group. Her eyes had been wandering towards Hiei, though she wasn't certain she could explain just why, but now, it was business time. "Okay, here we go. We've received word of a demon by the name of Fjerin that has recently become more active in Makai. His people have made numerous destructive attacks on Reikai, especially on the buildings that surround the palace. He seems to be waging an open war against us, for the purpose of taking control of Reikai away from King Yama, and he has an unlimited number of bodies to wage his war, because of his power.

Fjerin has the power to hypnotize and manipulate the minds of others. Specifically, he seems to be able to...um..."manipulate the spirit energy that already exists within the body of another individual", as the report put it. When under his control, the pupils of a person's eyes turn red, which signifies that they are one of his servants now. He has used this power to establish himself a cult following, which he calls the Vision of Tomorrow, or Tomorrow for short. Their goal seems to be to unite all of Reikai, Makai, and Ningenkai...um...the human world...under one master, and that master would be..."

Yusuke nodded his head. "Fjerin."

"Bingo," Botan uttered her trademark word.

Kuwabara raised his question next. "So, this girl laying here and that guy we saw...those people were being mind controlled by Fjerin, right?"

Botan sent a doubtful look towards the unconscious Kimiko. "Actually...I don't believe so. From the reports, Fjerin looks down on humans as weak, unproductive creatures. He sees them as inferior and would never allow a human to enter the Tomorrow. Whatever this Yoshi Tsarakino outbreak is, it's not Fjerin."

Kurama was the next to speak. "But it still has something to do with the Tomorrow. Kimiko said she was one of the Tomorrow, which means that even if it's not Fjerin, there is probably someone in his ranks that doesn't hold such high standards of membership."

Hiei snorted. "Which makes sense if you don't see humans as a weak, inferior people. Groups like this are tightly-knit. The leader's approval would be needed before anyone, human, demon, or spirit, were brought into their fold. Especially if bringing them into their fold meant the leader, Fjerin, had to manipulate their spirit energy. And even then, exactly how much spirit energy would he have to work with in a girl like Kimiko here?"

Botan turned a doubtful head to the unconscious girl. "He doesn't need much...but Hiei has a point. And I don't think all of the Tomorrow are going around calling themselves Yoshi Tsarakino."

Yusuke cursed beneath his breath. "Why is it that every time we get an answer about anything, it stops being an answer and just turns into more questions?"

"Because you boys suck at figuring out which questions to ask," Shizuru muttered. She was standing against the wall, by the door. She'd been quiet for most of the meeting, because this really wasn't her thing. She was only here because she was waiting for them to leave, so she could get back to her rest.

Ignoring the bait, Kuwabara looked back at the girl. "She doesn't feel like a demon to me, though. And she definitely doesn't feel like Tsarakino. The guy we saw this afternoon has two spirits inside him. This girl, though, I don't feel anything weird or creepy about her. A little bit of residue, but nothing else."

"Residue?" Yusuke questioned.

"Yeah," Kuwabara nodded, "Like there was something there before, but it's gone now."

"If she is normal," Kurama pondered aloud, "Then perhaps when she wakes up, she can help us determine what's happening. After we find out what she knows, I can use some of my dream flower pollen to put her back to sleep. The pollen will keep her from remembering any of this."

"Knock her out and drug her up," Shizuru barbed. "You sure have a way with women."

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Elsewhere, deep in the heart of Makai, in the central chambers of a citadel of stone and iron, a demon sat powerfully on a throne of gold and diamond. Flags of red, with a black emblem etched upon them of a sun halfway across the horizon, though whether it was going down or coming up could not be ascertained, were emblazoned all down the long hall before him. The creature was humanoid in shape, with blue flesh that ran across his rippling muscles. His black tiger-striped arms ended in sharp, vicious claws that had scratched the gold of his throne in moments of rage. Long, red hair flowed down from his head, coming down to about his waist, and a red beard/moustache combo accentuated his powerful jawline. His terrifying, blood red eyes were terrifying for his poor captive to look into.

She lay on the hard stone, a mere ten feet from the throne, on the right side. Strong iron chains bound her wrists and ankles together, and her neck was attached on a steel leash to a thick iron spike embedded in the stone. A prisoner of the enemy, she was powerless to fight back. She had been missing from her home for three days now, and she had been sober the entire time. She had no doubt her son had no idea she was even gone, and that thought filled her with dread. What if no one ever found her in this miserable place?

"Rise, my child," the creature spoke to a man kneeling down on the red carpet before his throne, and the man did as commanded, rising to his feet. The man wasn't really a man, though. He had strange blue skin running all over his body, and a horn coming out of his forehead. He also had golden eyes, but as he stood, his eyes flooded over with red replacing the gold. He bowed his head to his master, and disappeared out the door with four...men or creatures, she couldn't tell...

Enveloped in brown, hooded robes. Each had held a candle during the ceremony, and now that it was finished, they took their leave.

The monster stood, taking a few steps from his throne. "It's almost time," he laughed as he turned his attention back to the woman. "Wouldn't you agree, Atsuko? You've been a wonderful sport about this whole thing. I know you're concerned about your son, but don't worry, I assure you that you will see him again. After I destroy little Yusuke, I'll let you keep the head." He laughed at his own sick humor.

The woman opened her mouth to curse at the creature, but then she felt it. The devil was returning, the horrible, horrible thing. She didn't know which was worse, the creature before her, or the devil that was here once again to rape her mind and violate her soul. She fought it as she felt it moving inside her, felt its fingers around her mind. She wouldn't let it take her this time, she wouldn't let it...it had taken her before but this time she just would not let it! She could fight it...she could fight it...she could...

"No..." she struggled, but it was no use. He was stronger than her, he always was, and no matter how she fought him, he broke her just like he did every time before. Atsuko Urameshi lost her freedom, as she was forced back into the corner of her own mind, and this thing took her. An eerie green glow emanated from her eyes as it ripped control from her, and then she was his once more. She couldn't move her body, she could barely even move a finger. She could only remain helpless and watch as he moved her body, as he moved her lips, as he used her to plan her own son's death.

The demon smiled at the green glow, seeing Atsuko broken again. He opened his arms warmly and greeted his old friend. "Welcome back, Yoshi."


	7. Chapter 6: The First Foray

I would like to thank xmiahimex for clarifying something. I've doublechecked with the manga, and yep, I was wrong. The proper spellings are Shuichi and Kazuma. Thank you for pointing that out, xmiahimex.

* * *

**Chapter Six: The First Foray**

As she floated over the murky swamp, Botan's mind went back repeatedly to just how she'd wound up in this foul-smelling hellhole. She was seated firmly on a long, wooden oar, one that she had used to fly on many times, both as a ferrier of the dead and working with Yusuke. She was dressed for the expedition, with black boots that came halfway up her shins accompanied by green pants that stuck down into the aforementioned boots. She wore a leather tunic over her torso, which gave her an adventurous look, if one did not count the pretty blue ponytail or the look of disgust on her face as she followed swiftly after Hiei. Why the hell had she volunteered for this? She sighed, thinking back once more on a choice she was beginning to think was a definite mistake.

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Kimiko had finally awakened, but questioning her had only turned up more questions. It didn't take a genius to tell she was scared out of her mind when she awoke in a strange house surrounded by boys. Kurama had managed to soothe her with his calm voice, familiar face, and a repetition of the words "It's just a dream", but even when she was calm, she became prone to fits of hysterics. She didn't know what was going on or what had happened earlier that night. All she reported was a strange feeling going over her body, and then she was saying and doing things that she didn't understand. No matter how hard she tried to fight it, she couldn't. It was like her body had moved on her own, and she'd become a helpless puppet inside of it.

She especially couldn't understand anything she had said about Yoshi Tsarakino or about the Tomorrow. And she was completely embarrassed about the way she had approached Shuichi, which she apologized profusely for. She also thought she'd heard the name whispered around school before, but she couldn't quite remember where from. This, at least, gave them a lead to go by, even if it wasn't much.

After Kimiko had been put back to sleep with Kurama's dream flower pollen, which would also serve to remove her memory of the night's incident, the meeting had concluded with the making of plans for the next day. Yusuke and Kuwabara were going to investigate the mystery of Yoshi Tsarakino and see if they could turn up anything. The name sounded human and it was familiar to Kimiko, so that almost confirmed that Yoshi was in fact a human, despite the apparent prejudices of the Tomorrow. Kurama and Hiei were initially planned to travel to Makai and find information on the Tomorrow and on Fjerin, but Botan had a different idea in mind.

Kurama had been made a more active target than Yusuke, and his words suggested that the Tomorrow had turned their attentions away from him. Taking him straight to Makai and handing him to them was probably not the best of ideas, so it would be better for Kurama to remain in the human world. He would, instead, join Yusuke and Kuwabara in their search for information, while Botan accompanied Hiei to Makai. Which, of course, was an idea that was put under much scrutiny, but she was fairly proud of how well she'd defended it. She had seen and memorized images of several members of the Tomorrow, and could identify them better than anyone. This was her reason that she stated for the group, and they had accepted it. But now, looking back...she should have let Kurama come instead. She didn't know what she'd expected to find while following after Hiei, but this merciless bog definitely wasn't it.

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Hiei trudged through the black sludge that had enveloped his boots without a care. He had seen and been through worse than a mere swamp, and had actually been through this particular swamp a number of times. Botan floated behind him, but her progress was stunted by the cracked branches of dead trees that stuck up from the sludge. Hiei walked beneath the branches without a care, but she was too concerned with staying out of the water to–

CRACK!

A smile crossed Hiei's lips for a moment when he heard it. He wasn't sure when he was going to hear it, but he knew it was coming. Botan had just struck a branch without noticing it. He ignored the splash she made as she hit the water, his mind was preoccupied with more important matters. Why had she volunteered for this? She had been surprisingly determined to come to Makai, and to make sure that Kurama did not. This was not a place for the spirits of Reikai, but it was more than that. Since the tournament ended, Botan had been pestering him repeatedly with questions, and seemed to be trying to follow him places. He had finally put a stop to it by threatening her with death, but now, here she was again. What made her so compelled to follow after him? That was a question that Hiei went over repeatedly in his mind, why would this girl keep chasing after him?

"Ow..." Botan muttered, as the disgust solidified itself on her face. The putrid smell was even worse down here, and now the horrible slime was soaking into her clothes. She was drenched in it, having landed on her butt, her chest just barely rested above the water. Her legs came up from it near the knees, then went back down into the horrible slime. It was surprisingly warm, something that didn't comfort her in the least, and she was relieved to find that at least it wasn't acidic. Still, this had just turned from a bad day into a worse one. "You could help me up, you know!" she called after Hiei.

"I could," the demon responded without even looking back, "but where's the fun in that?"

Forcing herself to move in the sludge, Botan climbed back up to her feet. She looked around for her oar, to get out of this crap, but it was nowhere to be found. Well, this was just great...her oar must have sank into the slime, which was far too thick to see beneath. Bits of mud and grime now clung to her face and hair, and her clothes were stained brown. She would be so glad when this day was over.

"Wait for me!" She called after Hiei, who had continued his progress unimpeded without even a glance back at her. She hurried through the sludge to try and catch up, but her boot caught one of the roots of a dead tree, which took her balance out from under her. With a shriek, she made a faceplant straight down into the mud, and was off her feet a second time.

Finally, Hiei stopped and turned his attention back to Botan. He watched her pull her face out of the muck, and smiled inwardly at the sight of her coughing up slime. He didn't know why she made such an effort to pursue him, but any and all anger were dissuaded by this sight. He had considered doing something about it before, but really, this was punishment enough for the poor girl.

"You should watch your back," Hiei commented before he turned back away from her, "some demons find this muck to be a delicacy, and will come running at the smell of it."

Botan froze for a moment. She was not a fighter, and she wasn't certain anymore that Hiei would actually protect her. What if what she'd seen at the tournament had been a lie? She started to wonder that, and the thought made her feel empty inside. Hiei hadn't really seemed to care for anything in the time they were in Makai. Maybe she had deceived herself. "...but...you'll protect me...won't you?" Her eyes pleaded, begging for the answer her heart said he would give. But that answer never came.

"If you are so weak that you can't take care of yourself, and so stupid that you would come into this place knowing that, then you deserve to be eaten." Hiei's voice was harsh, and although it carried no intentional malice, Botan could feel something inside her aching. She couldn't understand it, but it felt as though her heart was splitting.

Hiei started walking once more, expecting to hear the sloshing sound of Botan stumbling through the muck behind him. But he didn't, and that took him by surprise. He stopped, then looked back to find she hadn't even moved. She was on her knees, submerged to her waistline in the swamp. Her head was bowed downwards so he couldn't see her face. He'd never seen her like this before, she was usually so cheery, bordering on hyper. His eyes studied her, trying to determine what was wrong. She didn't seem injured, but...were those tears he saw dripping from her face?

Frustrated, Hiei turned to look away from her. She had brought this on herself with her idiotic games. Let her rot here in this swamp, then, he had more important work to get done. He started again. They were near the end of the swamp, it wouldn't be too far now. If she wanted to sit here and wait for something to take her, then who was he to argue? At least he'd have her off his...no...

He could feel something moving with his Jigan Eye, something stirring beneath the water's surface. Once more he turned back to Botan, and he could see it moving for her, the water rippling, coming for her. Something was moving in the deeper parts of the swamp, and she didn't even notice. Her face was buried in her hand now as she struggled to control herself. She didn't know why she'd started to cry, why his words had hurt so much, but she needed to stop this. She was completely oblivious to the danger she was now in.

Fine, let her rot, Hiei reminded himself. But he couldn't take his eyes off the rippling in the water. Something inside urged him to move, but he fought it. There was nothing in this for him, nothing...the creature rose, with a splash. A long, serpentine neck with gray, rubbery flesh, ending in a serpentine maw. The demon had yellow eyes that glowed in the gloomy atmosphere, and a jaw that opened larger than a human head. The neck was twenty feet long, keeping the head high as it loomed over Botan.

She had brought this danger upon herself, Hiei reminded himself, but he couldn't take his eyes off her. Her attention had been grabbed by the demon, and terror was visible on her face. She had slipped up badly, and she knew it. This thing was going to eat her, and she was actually afraid. She didn't have her oar, she didn't have a weapon, and she couldn't fight it. She tried to run, tried to move, but her position screwed her over. She slipped and fell onto her back into the sludge, and the demon opened its jaw to eat. She saw her life slipping before her eyes, and she knew she was finished. It opened its mouth wide, and then the head came down, and she knew she was dead.

SLASH

The creature ripped its head back, roaring in agony, as a slash appeared halfway through its neck. Botan stared, transfixed at it, and for a moment, she wasn't even sure she was still alive. "Move, you idiot!" Hiei cast at her, before he came back for another slash. Moving on pure instinct, even he wasn't certain why he was doing this. His katana flashed in his hands as he came back for another. The water rumbled beneath him just before a second head burst up behind him. Botan pulled herself to her feet just as Hiei's sword finished the job on the first, severing it. But as the head struck the water, a third came up, and a fourth. They were surrounded now by the demons...demon...it was difficult to determine whether these were individual demons, or different parts of the same.

Botan's hands ran frantically beneath the sludge's surface, looking for a stick, a rock, something she could use as a weapon. They may be surrounded but she had no intention of playing the damsel in distress. Her hands fixed themselves on something large and slick. She had found something rubbery, that felt warm to the touch. It was surprisingly large and–did it just move? That's...oh, crap, it's part of the demon!

Looking up, she saw the one she had touched, looming over her. A second came down to strike at Hiei, lashing with the rapid-strike of a snake's head. It was fast, but the fire demon Hiei was faster, meeting it in midair with the blade of his sword, which he struck straight down its neck. Its head split in half and it fell over, joining its brother in death. After this point, Botan couldn't even see him strike. He lashed back, leaping over her head and past the demon snake above her. She didn't even see his arm move, save for a light blur, before the top of the demon's head fell from its neck and struck the ooze with a sickening splash.

Hiei stopped now, turning his attention to the fourth snake head. Having witnessed its brothers fall, it made the wise decision and turned, attempting to flee. But Hiei was a demon who lacked mercy. It had come here, it had tried to eat him and Botan. And with the flick of his sword and a single leap, it followed its brethren. "Pitiful," he muttered as he stood over the body of the fourth snake.

Botan sat motionless now, trying to register what had just happened. Hiei's words to her had been harsh and painful, but...he had been there, regardless of what he had said. She would be dead now if it weren't for him, and that started to renew her faith in him. "Hiei," she began to speak, but he cut her off before she could get anywhere.

"Don't even start," his voice returned to the brusque tone he'd used before. "I only did that because I didn't want to sit through that idiot Koenma bitching about letting you die." His voice carried within it the same harsh tone he'd used before, but somehow, she couldn't feel it. Kurama's words once again echoed in her mind, and she could feel that it ran deeper. Hiei had saved her life, no matter what he said. She wouldn't forget that.


	8. Chapter 7: Face of the Enemy

**Chapter Seven: Face of the Enemy**

Needle in a haystack. Those words kept passing through Yusuke's mind as they walked to Kurama's school the next morning. They were searching for this one guy, Yoshi Tsarakino, who could be just about anywhere. The only lead they had to go on was that the name sounded vaguely familiar to Kimiko, so perhaps someone else at her and Kurama's school knew more. But even then, how were they going to find whoever did know, and how would they get the information? This wasn't Yusuke's specialty, not in the least. Investigating, following leads, what kind of detective did all that? He just wanted to find this guy and pound him in the face for messing with him and Kurama.

"I don't get it," Yusuke sighed. "I mean, what is this guy? What does he want from us?"

"I don't know," Kurama coalesced. "It would seem that the Tomorrow needs our assistance for something, but I can't imagine what. I think the more pressing matter, however, is what is he? That's what we need to focus on right now."

"Yeah," Kuwabara agreed, "We need to find him and pound him!"

"Agreed," was the last word out of Kurama's mouth, before they reached the school. "Hopefully we can find something here."

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"Urgh!" the creature grunted as Hiei forced him back against the wall. It had red, scaly flesh rippling over its humanoid body, with two thick horns coming out the sides of its head. Hiei wrapped his right hand around its left horn, then looked into the beast's blood red eyes. "You're an Agent of Tomorrow, aren't you? Talk, or I will take this precious extremity, and then you will talk."

The creature shoved at Hiei, but his grip was tight. "You think you can scare me? I am nothing, an arm of the great Lord Fjerin, and nothing you can do will ARGH!" Hiei yanked on the horn at that moment, with the sound of tendons tearing within the demon's head.

"Talk," he repeated.

"You fool. Do you really think Lord Fjerin would entrust me with his–GACK!" Another yank, and more ripping sounds.

"Talk," Hiei repeated once again.

"You know," Botan smiled from behind Hiei, "you really should talk. Hiei gets very mean when he doesn't get his way." Her clothes were completely brown from the sludge of the swamp they had traveled through to get to this place, and there were still bits of mud and grime stuck to her face and hair. There was also an unmistakable odor from the drying muck, one that Hiei had done a good job ignoring since they left the place.

"You know," the demon said dryly, with his eyes on Botan. "For a girl, you smell distinctly like crap."

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"Dammit," Yusuke cursed, "this is getting us NOWHERE." He and Kuwabara were seated just outside the building, while Kurama pursued another student. "Nobody knows ANYTHING about this guy!" He laid his head down to rest on the table and let out a sigh of frustration.

"Hey," Kuwabara attempted, "we will find him. We always do."

There was an interruption to Yusuke's left, which caught his attention and caused him to lift his head up from the table. "Excuse me," a brown-haired man imposed. "I heard you're looking for someone? I think I might be able to help you."

Suspicious, Yusuke first turned his attention to Kuwabara. "This guy for real?"

Kuwabara's sixth sense would have warned him if this had been Tsarakino. He'd sensed him before, he'd sense him now. This guy seemed to be a legitimate lead, which he was more than happy to express. "He's clean."

Part of Yusuke marveled at what Tsarakino had driven them to. Every new face that walked up to him now, he wondered, "Is it Tsarakino? Is he messing with us again?" This guy was making him paranoid, and he didn't like that. He'd just have to pound him extra hard for that. "Alright," he addressed the man, "what do you know about a man named Yoshi Tsarakino?"

"Tsarakino..." the man muttered to himself, and he raised a hand to rub his chin. He seemed actually surprised by this, and he wasn't certain if he did know. "I'm not sure. I know everyone at this school, but that name...it sounds familiar, but I can't quite recall where from. However, if anyone would know, it would be Maya. I suggest you talk to her." The man unzipped his backpack, setting it down on the table, then removed a folder. He opened the folder, and Yusuke was astonished to see hundreds of pictures of different kids laid out on the pages within. He even recognized one of Kurama, though it was labeled "Shuichi Minamino". Of course the guy had Kurama's human name on it.

"What is all this?" Yusuke asked, his own warning senses starting to go off. This was more than just a little bit creepy. "Why do you have all these pictures?"

The brown-haired man smiled and didn't even hesitate to respond to Yusuke's question. "I'm preparing an amateur yearbook for our school. I believe that if the high schools can have one, why can't we? We don't have a class or anything for it, but my family's willing to fund the money to start off, and other kids are paying for their own."

Yusuke raised an eyebrow to that response, but shrugged. Geeks will be geeks. The man stopped flipping the pages, finally settling on one. He removed a picture from the folder and handed it to Yusuke. "Take this. That girl is Maya. You should find her by the tree out back during lunchtime. She likes to go there to think."

Yusuke smiled inwardly. It was about time they hit a stroke of luck.

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CRACK

The demon writhed, trying to get away from the psychotic blue-haired girl. "Ow! Let me...ow!"

CRACK

"Gah, you hit my–"

CRACK

"Botan!" Hiei pulled Botan away from the demon. She struggled in his arms, a look of pure anger on her face as she tried to reach the beast.

"I DO NOT SMELL!" she screeched at it, "This is YOUR stupid SWAMP! I trudged through your CRAP and for what! You are going to talk, because I did not get slime in my mouth for NOTHING!"

The creature was cowering against the wall, with its arms held up over its head. "Get that crazy bitch away from me!" he yelled at Hiei. "Get her away...I'll talk, I'll talk, just...keep her away from me!"

Hiei refused to let go of Botan until she had calmed down. Once she was calm, he released his grip from around her. "Botan, why are you..." he turned his attention back at the broken demon, then looked back at Botan. "...well...that wasn't bad." Botan smiled at Hiei's almost-compliment. It made her feel proud.

Hiei returned to the demon, crouching down on one knee. "Now, what is Fjerin planning? What is the Tomorrow doing?"

The demon spat up a bit of blood, then laughed. His was a laugh of victory, one that unnerved Botan and frustrated Hiei. "Do you really think any of this matters? I'll talk, just so I can see the look on your face when you understand that you are powerless. The wheels are already turning, Lord Fjerin will crush Reikai's palace to dust and instill a new order over all worlds."

Botan scoffed. "Yusuke will–"

"Yusuke? Yusuke Urameshi, the Spirit Detective?" the demon asked, his voice incredulous. "Do you really believe the Spirit Detective can make any difference? Lord Fjerin has already made plans to deal with him. He will fall just as easily as the palace does."

Hiei forced the demon's head back against the wall. "What is he plotting now? What is his next move? How is he going to topple Reikai or the detective?"

The demon laughed once more and closed his eyes. "The first assault will be on the palace itself. The weapon my master needs is hidden there. It will ensure the destruction of the Spirit Detective. Reikai will fall in the wake of his death. The first phase is already underway. The attack will begin soon."

Botan laughed at this, feeling the relief wash over her. "The palace is not without guards. You guys actually think you can survive a direct attack? I mean, we have the entire royal guard at our fingertips. What can you do?"

The demon looked straight at Botan, and a disturbing smile washed over his face. "We have something far more powerful than any guard, and far more dangerous than any weapon. We have a force that cannot be stopped, a power that nothing can even touch."

"And what's that?" Botan asked skeptically.

"We have Lord Tsarakino."

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"Hello, Maya." The girl was seated against a tree, reading a book, when she heard the familiar voice. Her short, black hair was curled around her head, tucking down under her ears. She had brown eyes that seemed to glimmer, which she turned up from her book to see the familiar red-haired boy she had found so attractive.

"Hi, Shuichi!" she was excited to see him. It wasn't often that she got to speak to him, especially not often that he actually sought her out. She didn't know who his two friends were, but they didn't matter. The cute boy was talking to her.

"How are you today?" Kurama's pleasantries were his greatest asset.

She smiled. "I'm okay. Had a rough day in class, but it's always nice to see you." She blushed as she spoke, embarrassing herself.

"Listen," Kurama smiled, "I was wondering if you could help us. We're looking for someone named Yoshi Tsarakino. Do you know anything?"

"Yoshi..." Maya sat back against the tree, thinking. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't...wait, Tsarakino? As in Toriya Tsarakino, the big business executive? "Tsarakino...my dad does business with a guy named Tsarakino all the time. He's had us over for christmas parties and stuff. I don't remember all the names, but there was a boy there until about three years ago, when he just up and vanished. Here, let me call my dad, and I can get you the address."

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The long, stone hallway echoed with the sound of footsteps. The demon, Fjerin, walked slowly down the hall, accompanied by his pet, Atsuko Urameshi. She walked without bonds, without chains, and with a proud gait that was not her own. She was not in power here, her body had once more been taken as the host to something bad.

"The first phase is almost ready," the demon grinned. "Soon we will have the first piece, and Detective Urameshi's death will be certain. Those poor fools have no idea what's to come."

Atsuko, Yoshi, walked beside him. Unlike the other followers, there was no sense of inferiority or superiority between these two. The rest of the Tomorrow had noticed this, and Tsarakino even held the title of Lord, just as Fjerin did. They were partners in this endeavor. "One thing I don't understand, Fjerin. Why do we keep this broken woman around?" Yoshi looked at her hands, studying the body.

"Two reasons," Fjerin responded, holding up two fingers to gesture. "First," he lowered his first finger, "there is strategic merit to having her around when we face the Spirit Detective. And second," he lowered his second, "you need a body, and I know your tastes. Admit it...you very much enjoy that one."

Yoshi shook Atsuko's butt, turning his head down to admire her slender figure. "Well, it is a snug fit," he grinned with a mouth not his own. "Maybe not a permanent residence, but this will do nicely. But aren't you worried about–"

"Yoshi," Fjerin smiled warmly towards his old friend, and laid his hand down on Atsuko's shoulder. "With the power of a god on my side, nothing worries me." Yoshi smiled at Fjerin's compliment. The power of a god...he had never thought of himself like that before.

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Finally, the team arrived at the doorstep of the Tsarakino family. The house was not as large as Yusuke had expected, a four-bedroom building out in the woods. He'd expected a mansion, but he supposed a man of luxury didn't always have to live like that.

"So, how we going to do this?" Kuwabara questioned. "Can't just walk up and ask to see Yoshi, can we?"

"Actually," Kurama pondered. "Maybe we can. The tactful approach is always the best. I have an idea. You two wait here, and I'll see what I can find." He left Yusuke and Kuwabara behind, walking calmly to the door. Raising his finger to the doorbell, he hesitated only a moment before pressing it. He couldn't help but wonder what he would find here, and it made him apprehensive. What would happen if Yoshi answered the door?

A moment passed, and another. There came no answer, and he began to suspect that there was nobody here. But then, just as he was about to turn away, he heard footsteps on the other side of the door. There was the clicking of locks being unlocked, and then the door eased open a crack, and he could see inside. A brown-haired woman, with her hair in curls, still a teenager probably in high school, answered the door. She had mysterious green eyes that captured the attention of any who looked at her, and Kurama noted that she was pretty. "Hello...what can I do for you?" she asked carefully. Her eyes seemed to study Kurama, as though she was uncertain of him.

"Hello," Kurama greeted her. "My name is Shuichi Minamino. I'm a friend of Yoshi's. We had plans today, to see a movie, and I was supposed to pick him up. Is he home?" A look of disgust washed over the girl's face, and she tried to slam the door in Kurama's face. Kurama stopped her with his hand, though, keeping the door open. "Did I say something wrong?"

"What is this, some kind of sick joke!" the girl exclaimed. She was angry now, and Kurama could easily make out the unmistakable sense of rage coming from her. "Get out of here before I call the police!"

"I'm sorry, I don't understand. What did I say?" Kurama was surprised, and trying to make sense of it.

The girl snarled, "What, like you don't know! If this is some stupid prank, I swear–"

"I meant no harm," Kurama assured her sincerely. "I just don't know what–"

"Well, here's a newsflash, idiot." The girl's anger was boiling now. "My brother Yoshi has been dead for three years."


	9. Chapter 8: Between Life and Death

**Chapter Eight: Between Life and Death**

Hiei and Botan ran back through the swamp, their boots sloshing in the muck as they hurried back towards the gateway to Reikai. "We have to hurry," Botan yelled, running as fast as she could to try and make it. "They're going to attack the palace!" She couldn't even feel the mud sloshing against her boots anymore, she was in too much of a hurry. The demon had mentioned they wanted something from the palace, but what it was, she didn't know.

"We'll never make it," she yelled, she knew she wasn't fast enough and had no idea when the attack would start. But before she could say another word, she felt something lifting her into the air, scooping her up off her feet. Without a word, without a question, Hiei had lifted her with one arm beneath her legs and another supporting her back, hoisting her into his arms before taking off. He could make it faster than she could, speed was his specialty, and they would need to push for all he had to make it.

Botan was surprised by the sudden lifting, and at first thought she was being attacked by a demon. Well, it was a demon, she admitted, but it wasn't an attack. She knew that Hiei's speed was the best asset they had, and was grateful he hadn't simply left her behind. Putting her arms around his neck to brace herself and hold on, she felt him pick up speed now that he didn't have to wait for her. Trees and rocks flew past as Hiei ran, before she heard him utter the words, "Hang on. It's about to get rough." Before she had time to consider what he meant, they were up in the air.

Hiei landed on a branch, but didn't stay long. He leapt from one branch to another, with Botan clinging to him for dear life. One branch came, and then another, which he ran down in an instant and left off the edge, landing on another. This was faster now without the murky swamp water trudging them down, and–branch! Botan shrieked just before Hiei flipped up and over the branch that had blocked their path, a flip that made her feel sick to her stomach. They were going to make it, but she wasn't sure she'd still have all her cookies by the time they did.

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"Dead?" Kurama repeated, stunned by this revelation. "I...I'm sorry, I didn't know."

The Tsarakino girl raised an eyebrow at Kurama's ignorance. "Then why did you even come here?" She was starting to lose her patience.

Yusuke and Kuwabara, back by the woods, watched the whole thing from a distance. Yusuke couldn't help but smile. They couldn't hear the conversation, but it looked as though Kurama's "tact" approach wasn't working out so well.

"How did he die?" Kurama questioned, still trying to make sense of things.

"Why should I tell you!" the girl answered, before slamming the door. Well, Kurama sighed, at least they had more information on Tsarakino. He only wondered how the others would take to the news that their enemy was a spirit.

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It felt like it had taken forever, but finally, Hiei carried Botan into the palace of Reikai. Finally being set down on her own two feet, Botan went to move, then stopped. She bent down and gave Hiei a kiss on the cheek, then blushed. She wasn't sure why she'd done that. "Thank you," she said, before hurrying off towards Koenma's office to deliver her report.

This left Hiei somewhat confused. His fingers idly touched the spot where she'd kissed him, and he raised one of his eyebrows. There was definitely something strange going on with Botan.

Botan's boots squished against the tile as she ran, leaving muddy footprints on the floor. She passed Ayame in the hall and kept running, not even noticing her. Turning the corner in the hall, she blew past two of the blue ogres and kept going. She was in such a hurry she didn't even look back, which was a shame. If she had, she would have seen one of the ogres, one with strange, red pupils, grab the other by the mouth and yank him back into one of the side halls, then the both of them vanishing in a puff of Black Mist. But she didn't, instead she hurried onwards, finally knocking open the doors to Koenma's office and coming to a final stop just in front of his desk. "Lord Koenma, we have an emergency!" she shrieked.

Koenma fell forward onto his desk. He'd been teetering over one of the countless pieces of tedious paperwork when Botan knocked the door in, which caused him to lose his balance and do a face plant into the wood. Pulling himself up, somewhat frustrated, he looked up at Botan. "What's going on? ...and what is that smell!"

Botan narrowed her eyes for a moment, but skipped that. "Swamp muck. It's not important! The Tomorrow is coming here, I don't know when but the demon said it would be soon. They're launching an attack, and it sounded like they're looking for someone. And from what he said, it sounds like Tsarakino is coming. We weren't able to get much out of the demon about Tsarakino, but at least--"

Botan was cut off by the sound of the large screen that sat against the wall of Koenma's office. Yusuke had just appeared on the screen, using a pink compact that Botan had given him, one of his detective items he was more reluctant to carry around with him, to contact Koenma. "Well, we got good news and bad. Good news is, we found out what Tsarakino is. Bad news, he's a ghost."

"What?" Botan was confused. She looked back and forth between Koenma, behind his desk, and Yusuke, on the screen. "That's impossible. He can't be a ghost."

"Well, that's what his sister told us," Yusuke responded. "Her brother Yoshi's been dead for three years."

"Three years?" Botan looked at Koenma. "He definitely can't be a ghost. I mean, we know when people die. We send someone. If he had died three years ago, someone would have been sent to retrieve him. He would have been brought here and judged, and then sent to the afterlife."

Koenma nodded his head, looking back up at Yusuke. "We would know, and he definitely wouldn't be out there if he died three years ago."

"Well, that's all we got," Yusuke responded. Whether he's dead or alive, that's all we know."

Botan stopped for a moment, considering. Then an idea struck her, and she turned her attention straight to Koenma. "Lord Koenma, can I have permission to go through the records? I need to see what we have on Tsarakino."

Koenma nodded his head. "Go ahead."

Botan turned to go, then stopped and looked back at Koenma. "Um...what should we do about the attack that's coming? The Tomorrow Agent we interrogated seemed pretty confident about their chances."

Koenma laughed. "So does everyone that attacks this place, Botan. Don't worry about it, our guards will deal with them when they came."

Botan smiled, then hurried out the door, looking for the records. This guy couldn't be dead, because they would know. She knew this. She ran over it repeatedly in her head, he can't be dead. If her were dead, he wouldn't be out there, and since he's out there, he can't be dead. She was so sidetracked with this that she almost ran right into Hiei, but stopped herself just short. "Hiei!" she exclaimed.

"Where are you off to?" he asked her, his eyebrow raised.

"Something's going on, they think Tsarakino's dead but I told them that's impossible and now I'm going to check the records and–"

She was cut off by Hiei's finger. Raising his arm so that his finger would hover right in front of Botan's nose, he spoke with a stern tone. He was certainly not letting her go anywhere smelling like that. "That can wait. Shower. Now."

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One ogre, the guardians of Reikai, forced another down on the ground in the throne room of Tomorrow's Sanctuary. "I've brought you another, Lord Fjerin," the oppressing ogre smiled, his red pupils demonstrating his allegiance.

Fjerin, the master, was seated atop his throne. Atsuko stood proudly beside him, but she was not herself. Once more serving as host to the horrible Yoshi Tsarakino, the real Atsuko was shoved deep into a corner of her mind. "How many does this make for us?" Yoshi asked, with that same familiar smirk evident on Atsuko's lips.

"Twenty-five," Fjerin responded. "That should be plenty for our distraction, I believe."

Yoshi whistled, sticking out one of Atsuko's hips and resting her hand atop it. "Twenty-five. This should be fun. So, what say we get the candle guys in here and do your ceremonial mojo?"

Fjerin smiled a little. Yoshi used strange words and spoke in a weird fashion fairly often, but he had become accustomed to it in the time they had been partners. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea. Once we have the ceremony out of the way...I do believe it's time to begin Phase One."

"Yes!" Yoshi hoisted Atsuko's fist proudly up into the air in a moment of excitement. "Finally, it's about time! We are going to drive that Urameshi kid into the ground!" At these words, Atsuko began to resist Yoshi once more. For a moment, the body shook, her fist lowering and her left arm wrapping over her stomach. She was fighting him, but it lasted only a moment, before he was able to crush her back down and take his control back. "Well, would you look at that?" he laughed. "Seems the girl has spirit. Don't worry, mommy dearest, we'll save you his head when we're done."

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Botan had been delayed by an impromptu shower, though she was grateful to Hiei for suggesting it. She felt infinitely better after she'd washed the grime off, and the mud-caked clothes had been left out to be washed. She suspected she may have to burn them to get the horrible smell off, but that would be a last resort. After returning gratefully to her pink kimono, Botan had hurried off to the records, to find what she could on Yoshi Tsarakino. Alive or dead, the records would have contained everything about him.

However, as the record hall was massive, she had enlisted the aid of Ayame in this endeavor. She had tried to get Hiei to come with, but the guard ogres had refused to allow him into the hall. This was most likely due to the fact that he was still technically a criminal, and not many here trusted him, especially with something as valuable as the records. His greatest crime, he had stolen a demonic sword from the vault of the palace. They hadn't forgotten that.

Hiei had taken a seat by the wall, just outside the record hall. He waited for Botan, partially out of curiosity as to the enemy, and partially because he had nothing better to do. The guard ogres kept a watchful eye on him, which only made him smile. It almost felt like they were daring him to try something. As if anyone here would survive if he did.

It took some walking, but Botan and Ayame finally reached the T section of the records, under the Ningenkai section. Now, they could begin their search for Tsarakino, but that search could take forever. It was going to be long and arduous, which Botan accepted with a sigh. They could be here a while.

Hiei stood up from the wall, going to take a walk. Something was bothering him, something he couldn't quite place. His Jigan Eye felt off, like there was something it was feeling that he couldn't understand. He didn't know what it was, but something was definitely not right here. The people, the ogres, seemed...wrong, somehow.

"Found it!" Ayame exclaimed down the hall, her hands wrapped happily around a file. "Yoshi Tsarakino, age 17, last seen at...well...this can't be right."

"What?" Botan asked, a puzzled expression on her face.

Ayame looked up at Botan, equally puzzled. "The record just stops. It goes to a fire three years ago, and then it just...stops."

"What! The records don't stop, let me see that!" Botan grabbed the file from Ayame's hands, pouring over it herself. The records don't stop, she knew that. Even after someone died, the records contained a listing of their guide to the other world, their judgment, where they'd settled in, how they'd settled in...it didn't just stop. Flipping quickly through to the last page, she looked for herself, and discovered for herself, "...the record just stops."

This didn't make any sense. Whether he was alive or dead, the record would have continued on about Tsarakino. Skimming through the last page of the record, Botan noticed two things of interest. First was the fire that Ayame had mentioned. Yoshi's house had been destroyed in a fire, and while most of his family had made it out, he had been crushed under a piece of the ceiling that had fallen from the top. His last moments had been ones of pure terror, as he was roasted alive by the flaming debris that had landed on him. The second was a listing of psychic ability, one that had never actually become active: Yoshi had the ability to astral project.

Botan read over the last records, then she read them over again. She read them repeatedly, trying to understand what had happened. And then, slowly, it began to dawn on her. This...this was something unprecedented. And in a moment of clear understanding and of horror, she knew. Reading over it one last time, she knew. She understood, and this made things so much worse. She finally understood the face of the enemy, and it was one that chilled her right down to the bone.

Hiei was now pacing back and forth in the halls when Botan came stumbling out. Her face was pale, and her eyes were wide. Ayame came out after her, still looking confused. "Come on, Botan, what is it? What did you see?"

Botan looked right at Hiei, ignoring Ayame. Her words came out shaky and frightened. "I know what he is," she spoke with careful words. "This is bad."

"What's going on?" Hiei's voice was direct and to the point. If Botan knew something, now was the time to hear it.

"...I know what he is...the records...they stop...they stop because we can't track him anymore. He's...he's a psychic. His power was listed as astral projection." They both knew what an astral projection was. Some psychics had the power to channel their spirit energy away from their body, in the form of an external body. This was a shapeless energy that existed in both the physical and spirit realms, but existed without form, without image, completely invisible to the eye. This astral form could be used to view things from afar, and even to plant subconscious thoughts into the minds of others. But the connection to the body was pivotal. If the body was destroyed, the astral form would die and become a spirit, which would be treated as any other dead spirit.

"His power never manifested. But if it hadn't, he wouldn't have had any power. It had to manifest, but there is no record of the manifestation. The record stops at the fire, when he was crushed under burning debris. He was in terror for his last moments. We've seen with Yusuke just how much a strong emotion can drive a spirit power, just how far it can press it. His power must have manifested there at the end, but...his body was dying. I think...I think he slipped into a crack. If his astral form was created at the same moment that his body died, there would be no body to connect a link with. He's...he's trapped somewhere between life and death. I can't even begin to imagine what that must be like. An astral projection without a body, and with the amount of time and desperation he's had with it, as well as not having a body of his own with a link to hold him back...he seems to have found a way to take control over other bodies."

Botan swallowed hard. "The records keep track of everything, living or dead. But he isn't either, and I don't know what to do about that. He's not alive, so you boys can't reach him. And he's not dead, so we can't either. He's...I don't know what to do...I really don't–"

As if on cue, to make a bad time worse, there came a powerful explosion from off down the halls. The ogres standing guard by the record hall kept their stance, but a worried look crossed over them. Botan's face whitened further, because there was no time left. The attack had started, and that meant Tsarakino was here.


	10. Chapter 9: Yoshi's Assault

**Chapter Nine: Yoshi's Assault**

A powerful explosion ripped down the halls of the palace. Pieces of debris and ogres were sent flying from the blast, which tore a nasty hole in the palace wall. Most of the debris flew outwards from the palace rather than in, which suggested that the explosive had actually been planted from within. As the smoke settled, three figures could be seen stepping through the hole. Two of the guard ogres, with blood red eyes, stepped forward first. They had set the explosive, and were carrying in more. Trailing behind them was a third, but this one had ordinary, golden eyes. However, it walked with a strange gait to it, a flashy teenager's attitude that betrayed its true identity.

Botan could feel the hall shake from the power of the explosion. She struggled to keep her balance, thankful that she'd managed to stay on her feet. One of the guard ogres had fallen over, and the other was glaring cautiously down the hall. "What was that!" she exclaimed in a moment of worry, but before she could answer, the ogre that had not fallen had turned its attention to her.

The grabbed for Botan, his left arm shooting out to grasp her right and pull her to him. For the first time, she noticed the blood red eyes that lived in his face, and the sight sent a chill down her spine. But before she could react, she was free from the ogre, though his arm still clutched at hers. Hiei had brought his sword up between them, severing the ogre's limb, and without hesitation, had carried forward to impale the ogre through the neck. A killing blow.

"Stay out of this, demon!" the second ogre raged. "This is not your fight!" He grabbed for Hiei, but the demon was too fast, darting to the side and out of his reach before passing his blade through the back of the ogre's neck. Before the ogre's head had even hit the floor, Botan had erupted from her position. In a moment of adrenaline, a moment free from clear thinking, she had wrapped her arms around Hiei's neck, pulling herself off the floor and pressing her lips to his, embracing him passionately in a kiss.

The moment ended quickly, with Hiei shoving Botan back, gripping her by the shoulders. "What the hell are you...never mind, there's no time for this!" There was no longer any question as to why she was following him. He grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her down the hall, pulling her to her feet and forcing her to run. "Looks like the attack's started," he sent back to her.

"We have to get to Lord Koenma," Botan panicked. "If they're here, then they're probably going to be going after him. We need to get there before they do!"

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Ogres had already begun arming themselves, taking up weapons and going to fight the intruders. But civil war had broken out amongst their numbers, as those with the blood red eyes attacked the others, striking at them from within their own ranks. One unit of six ogres ran to face the intruders, but the two in the back struck without their notice. The first blood ogre impaled the ogre in front of him through the spine, shoving him against a second ogre while he thrust his blade through the neck of a second. The second blood ogre had struck simultaneously with the first, cutting through the neck in front of him and shoving the body forward into the fourth ogre, then driving his blade down through that ogre's chest.

"Lord Tsarakino," the first traitor approached. "We have done as you commanded. Our Agents have infiltrated the guard, and the way is open. There are two units guarding the Vault,"

"I can handle them," Yoshi responded without a moment's hesitation. "This is going to be fun."

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Civil war had erupted in the halls. Hiei shoved Botan quickly into one of the side rooms when he saw three ogres fighting in the hallway. Two blood ogres had converged on one normal, and the fight was going badly. None were armed in this fight, but the ogre was covered in slashes from the claws of the blood ogres. One had put his arm around the ogre's neck, about to snap it, but before he could strike, his head flew from his body. Hiei skidded across the ground on the other side and lunged before the other blood ogre even knew what had happened. Driving his blade into its chest, the demon forced him to the ground before removing his sword.

Botan peeked out through the door, watching the short assault. She watched Hiei fight, and she didn't even wonder why anymore. He was protecting this place, protecting her, and she could feel it resonating within her. But before she could really think about it, Hiei had yanked her back up to her feet by the wrist, and they were running for Koenma's office once more.

"Let...gah...let go!" She could hear Koenma struggling inside his office. Hiei let go of Botan's wrist and threw himself against the door, smashing it open despite one blood ogre's attempt at holding it closed. Koenma had been forced down against his desk by a second blood ogre, which was now rifling through the desk with its free hand, searching for something. Hiei didn't hesitate a moment, leaping up over the desk and bringing his blade down, cutting a line from the blood ogre's shoulder straight down to its waist, before withdrawing his blade.

"Lord Koenma!" Botan yelled as she raced into the room, but before she could say anything, she was cut off.

"The Vault!" Koenma practically shouted at her. "They're going for the Vault!"

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"Stand down," was all he heard. Yoshi Tsarakino, in the body of an ogre, had found his way to the Vault. He was met by a single unit of six, in which he did not identify even one blood ogre. This was to be expected, the Vault guard would have been infinitely more difficult to infiltrate, but it was no matter. He was Yoshi Tsarakino, and these poor fools would be much less than a match for him.

"Oh, come on," Yoshi taunted. "I've come all this way, you're not just going to give me a couple words, are you? C'mon, hit me with your best shot." His words stirred the captain, the front ogre, into attacking. The ogre thrust his fist forward, which Yoshi twisted his captured upper body to dodge, before driving his captive's elbow right into the ogre's stomach, following with a strike from his right fist up against the ogre's chin. This stirred the rest into action, and Yoshi laughed. It was time to have some real fun.

The second came from the left, and Yoshi drove his left leg right into its stomach, before he was grasped around the neck by the third ogre. The body's neck cracked with a twist of the ogre's arms, but the fourth ogre, behind him, suddenly gasped. A green glow emanated from his eyes for only a moment, and then he shoved the third forward into the second, knocking the both of them over. Swiping with his claws, the fourth slashed open the fifth's face, while the second and third struggled to get up. He turned too slow, however, and the sixth cracked him across, the face, then drove his fist into the fourth's stomach, causing him to cough up blood.

The fourth fell to the ground, motionless, but the green glow suddenly shone from the second's eyes for a few seconds. The second grasped the third as he had gotten up, cracking his neck quickly and shoving him against the sixth. He then turned on the fifth, who was on the ground with blood coming from the gashes in his face, and drove his foot right into his stomach, gutting him. Finally turning his attention back to the fourth, the second struck with his right, but the fourth was too fast for him. The fourth shoved the second's arm aside, then drove his first right into the second's face once, then twice, then a third time. The second gasped in freedom as he stumbled back, and that horrible green glow shone briefly from the fourth's eyes. A couple seconds later, the second was looking up in horror at the fourth, just before the fourth mercilessly executed him with its claws to his throat.

The fourth now stood proud over the bodies of the rest of the unit. Yoshi Tsarakino now inhabited its body, and with that ogre, he turned his attention now to the door. The heavy-duty steel door stood between him and the vault, the only remaining obstacle in his path.

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"Come on!" Botan screeched, for now it was her turn to yank Hiei by the wrist. She pulled him out the door and back into the hall, worried for the Vault. She could only hope that they would get there in time, and that Tsarakino's forces wouldn't be able to crack it.

Koenma sighed, returning to his place behind his desk. This whole thing was a mess, and his palace was turning into a circus. His own guard ogres were fighting amongst themselves, and Tsarakino was out there someplace. Not to mention that he had just had his neck saved by Hiei, of all people!

He laid his head down to rest on the desk. This was going horrible, and now Botan was out there in it. For a moment, he entertained a fantasy of himself, an older version of himself, the teenage form that he took on from time to time, scooping up Botan in his arms while the ogres fought each other in the background, and escaping from the burning palace, carrying her to safety, and pressing his lips to hers on a grassy hilltop, even while the palace burned in the background. A smile crossed the young prince's face when he pictured that moment.

Koenma shook the fantasy off. This was not the time for fantasizing about Botan. This was a state of emergency, and he needed to...needed to what? What, exactly, could he do about this emergency? Koenma let out another sigh, then returned his head to his desk. His men would handle it for him. He didn't need to do anything.

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Five ogres stood within the central chamber of the Vault. The massive doors were closed tight, and their captain was armed with a sword, which he held prepared. The other four were positioned in a circle around the captain, who never took his eyes off the door. "It's sealed tight," he muttered to himself. "There is no way they can get in here." He didn't even see as the eyes of the one standing behind him glowed green for a couple seconds, and by then, it was too late.

"Care to make a wager?" The ogre taunted as he struck from behind, but the captain was faster than him. The captain darted forward, away from the ogre's arms, and spun his blade under his shoulder to drive it back into the ogre's stomach.

"Have to do better than that," the captain grinned, just before a green glow emanated from his own eyes. He could feel Yoshi gnawing at his mind, grasping and taking control from him. He fought it, struggling against the invading force, fought with everything he had, but this was a mental struggle against a mental invasion, something he had little experience with. Yoshi beat him back in a matter of seconds.

"How's this?" Yoshi mocked the captain internally as he wrenched control of the body from his grasp. The captain found himself shoved back into a corner of his own mind, while Yoshi moved his body. He could feel every movement, every thrust, every blow, but could not actually move the body himself. Yoshi thrust the blade into the second ogre, surprising the remaining two, and kicked him off the blade before spinning and severing the head of the third. The last backed up for a moment, surprised and confused, before Yoshi hilted the sword inside the ogre's chest and shoved him back.

Victorious, Yoshi stepped deeper into the Vault. Two ogre units had fallen to his power, to their own power, and he couldn't help but laugh. He stopped, turning back to the face his enemies. "Damn, you guys SUCK!" he mocked the dying ogres, "I mean...is this the best you've got? C'mon, give me an army, give me some anger, some passionate threats about how I won't get away with this! You're boring me!" He laughed once more, then turned back away from them. "But I guess it's to be expected," he chuckled. "After all, I am the great Lord Tsarakino!"

Ignoring most of the weapons and mysterious artifacts that could be found within the Vault, Yoshi walked straight to the back, searching for something in particular. It took several minutes of searching, but finally, he came upon his prize, resting atop a pedestal in the back. There it was, inside a glass jar, with warning labels around it. The latest object that Koenma had put his people to work researching, and a very potent one.

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"Let me try to talk to him," Botan pleaded with Hiei as they approached the Vault. "We're dealing with a very dangerous man, and I don't know if there's a way to hurt him. I'm going to try talking to him."

"It's not going to work," Hiei chided, with a gruff tone to his voice. "It never does."

"Just stay here," Botan insisted. "If he sees you, he's not going to talk. Let me try, and if it doesn't work, then you can fight him."

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The doors opened slowly, Yoshi observed. A little too slow, but that was to be expected from doors this large and this heavy. Once they were open, he stepped out of the Vault with a grin, carrying with him the prize he had sought, still safe within its glass container. But the dead and unconscious ogres outside the doors were not the only sight that greeted him, and his eyes widened at the sight of Botan standing there, a firm, determined look on her face. "Botan, isn't it?" He shot her a smirk, one that had come to be associated with him.

"Yoshi," she started. "I don't know why you're here, but...I know you have a problem. I know what happened to you, Yoshi, and I want to help you. It must be terrible, I know, to lose the natural order, but–"

Botan's voice was cut off by laughter. "Wait," Yoshi interrupted, trying not to laugh too hard. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait...let me get this straight...you actually think I'm unhappy!" The grin on his face was more than enough to answer the question of whether he was or not.

"Well," Botan worried. "Aren't you?" She had been so fixated on the horrible circumstances that surrounded Yoshi's strange, unnatural existence that she hadn't taken the time to consider just what that unnatural existence granted him.

"Oh, come on!" Yoshi laughed. "I'm friggin' immortal, Botan! Look at me!" He gestured towards himself, with the guard captain's arm. "Look at what I can do! Never have to die, never feel any pain besides what my host feels, and that can easily be remedied by switching out. And sure, maybe I'm only as strong as the strongest person around, but y'know, somehow that doesn't really strike me as much of a weakness." Yoshi set the jar down on the ground, then kicked it over towards Botan. She wasn't sure why he was doing this, as she watched it skid across the ground. Was this what he had taken from the Vault? But, no, that can't be right...she saw inside the jar, and she knew it couldn't be right. Why would Koenma have a Jigan Eye in the Vault?

However, the reason he was delivering it to her became apparent soon enough. Yoshi took the guard captain's sword and drove it straight into his chest, before releasing the body. Incapacitating, killing the guard, so that he could take a more desirable form. Botan's eyes suddenly glowed with that familiar green light, and she could now feel him worming inside her, attacking her mind, taking control. "Y'know," he laughed as he fought her back into the corner of her mind, "you really are kinda cute. I think we could have some serious fun, you and I." Botan snarled internally, shoving back, trying to force his spirit out, but he had more time and more experience with internal conflicts, and she was now his.


	11. Chapter 10: Aftermath

**Chapter Ten: Aftermath**

Botan could feel her body being overcome, her mind struggling to fend off the invading power of Tsarakino. She felt him worming inside her, gnawing at her mind and taking her body. Botan fell to her knees, losing control over her body, but managed to catch herself before she hit the floor. Her body was going, she was losing it.

She couldn't believe this was happening. She should have let Hiei fight him. She had tried to talk to him, tried to reason with him, and he was making her his slave for it. He couldn't be talked to. She knew this now, as she heard him laughing within her mind, heard his cruel, sadistic voice as he forced her down. She had thought he was doing this in anger, or in depression. Mistaken him for a torn soul, because she had focused too much on the concept of not having a place. But as she listened to him, she realized she'd been wrong. This wasn't about revenge or finding a place. He was enjoying this.

Botan fought him with everything she had. She pushed, she strained, she shoved with everything she had. But he met every effort with a stronger one. He was experienced, had spent the last three years breaking minds. She had never faced a mental invasion quite this strong. The only mental invasions she'd ever had were telepathic messages from Hiei, usually death threats, which–that's it!

"H...Hi..." Botan struggled to get the words out, before she lost her arms and fell to the ground. But her own thoughts betrayed her, the invader opening them as she formed them.

"Hiei?" he questioned in the space of her mind. "You think Hiei can save you?" He started to laugh, a horrible sound that echoed within her mind. "Hell, that demon would be more likely to kill you than save you. Just like he threatened at the Tournament, wasn't it? If...well, isn't that interesting..."

Horror gripped Botan, a horrible disgust and a feeling of violation filled her as she realized what he was doing. Yoshi was opening her mind like a book and reading her memories. He had violated the most intimate thing she had, her brain, and now he was poring over her life like a novel. Her emotions, her memories, her feelings, all laid bare for him.

"Get out of my head!" She screeched at him, pushing back at him with all the force she could muster. Having realized how deeply he was violating her, she was all the more determined to remove him from her mind as soon as she could. She struck as hard as she could, putting everything she had into taking back her body, but it was to no avail.

"Wow, you really are a feisty one," he mocked. "Don't fight it, sweetheart. You and I are going to have a lot of fun together." To Botan's horror, she could feel her body moving without her, the horrible invader moving her limbs to pick her up off the ground. It was in that moment that she realized she had lost, and fear began to set in. What if he never let her go? What if she was trapped, his forever because of her mistake? What if she–

"Tsarakino," she heard a voice. It spoke with a cold, harsh tone, one she would recognize anywhere. Standing in the doorway between this hall and the next was Hiei, and she had never been so glad to see him. Her hero had arrived.

"Well, now," Yoshi mocked her internally, reading her thoughts as she generated them. "Isn't that interesting? Hero? Him?" Her mood sank back down, and she decided to work harder at shielding her own thoughts. He could take her memories, or at least, she couldn't stop him from taking them, but her thoughts were her own precious space, and she wouldn't let him have them.

But she couldn't hide her feelings. She couldn't hide her body's actions, the way her heart started to beat faster when she saw Hiei. She couldn't hide the warmth that started to fill her or the smile that wanted to creep across her face. She could only hope he didn't notice, that he didn't misconstrue–

"Well now, I can honestly say I never saw this one coming." Oh, crap. "I mean, of all the guys you know, that jackass is the one you pick?"

"You don't–no! It's not like that!" Botan insisted. She was afraid of this, he was misconstruing. "I'm not...I mean, it's not that kind of–"

"Sweetheart," he laughed. "You can lie to your friends, you can lie to your boss, you can even lie to yourself. But you can't lie to me. I can read you like a book. You're in love with that hellspawn."

Outside, he allowed Botan's smile to complete itself. "Hiei," he turned her smile into his beloved smirk, curling one of her lips upwards. "There you are. I was wondering what had–"

"You're not Botan," he spoke directly and to the point.

"What?" Yoshi turned Botan's head back and forth, in an expression of confusion. "What do you–"

"I can see you. You're not her." The eyes could deceive, but Hiei had more than just regular eyes. His Jigan saw more than simple perception. As he looked upon Botan, his Jigan saw what his eyes did not, a glowing energy core radiating with her chest. He could see it clearly, the spark of Tsarakino's astral from, resonating from within Botan's body.

Yoshi narrowed Botan's eyes. It would appear that he wasn't getting out of this through subterfuge. "Fine," he laughed, a horrible, arrogant laugh, and Botan was surprised to find that her voice could make such an evil sound. "Fine, let's drop the charade. You can't do a thing to me, without harming your precious little girl here." He reached down, lifting up the jar holding the captive Jigan. "Just like the rest, you have no power over me. It's your move, Hiei."

Botan called to him, tried to call out to him, struggling against her captor to try and reach him. She was so close to freedom, if he could only help!

"She's calling for you, y'know," Botan could hear her voice speaking Tsarakino's horrible words. "She believes you'll save her. She's begging for you to help her, and she's frightened. Seems she's so in love with you that she can't even think straight."

Horror filled Botan when she heard those last words. The secret she'd been lying to herself about, the secret she'd been trying to hide was now coming through. She had no secrets form Tsarakino, and he had no qualms about revealing hers. Part of her felt like she was going to die right there.

"I know," Hiei responded, without emotion or inflection in his voice. This struck Botan by complete surprise, she had done a good job covering it up! Hadn't she? "And even if she is," Hiei spoke without even moving his lips, "she still doesn't deserve this." His lips hadn't moved at all. He was using his telepathy, speaking directly into their mind...her mind.

Yoshi took a step back for a moment, surprised by the telepathic contact. "What are you doing?" he questioned, uncertain now.

Hiei's voice resonated within Botan's mind once more, speaking directly to Tsarakino. "I am taking back something that does not belong to you." She could feel power growing within her, Hiei's power, helping her to force back Tsarakino. Hiei's Jigan began to glow with power, fueling his telepathic attack on Tsarakino.

Feeling empowered by Hiei's aid, Botan began to fight back again. She had found the strength for another push, with Hiei guiding the attack. Tsarakino began to feel the body fading from him, the control being ripped away from his grasp. He pushed back with everything he had, but he was facing a telepath in addition to the girl he had thought he'd crushed. "You can't..." he muttered within Botan's mind, "...she's mine...MINE..." His voice was strained and troubled as he struggled to keep his grip on her, but he was losing badly.

"She will never be yours," that cold voice emanated, just before he lost his grip entirely. For the first time, Yoshi could feel himself forced from the host he had taken, ejected powerfully from the body. His precious slave had been torn from his grasp, and he could feel a dull ache in his spark, a strange sensation he had never felt outside a host: pain.

Botan gasped and fell to her knees, the shock of having her body suddenly thrust back into her control surprising her. She was freed from his grasp, free of the terror that was Tsarakino. She spent a few moments, trying to compose herself on the ground. Then, in one swift movement, she lunged upwards, wrapping her arms around Hiei's neck and holding on tightly to him. She could feel herself getting emotional, could feel herself start to cry from the shock of what had almost happened to her.

"You can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to me," Tsarakino's horrible words resonated within her mind. "You're in love with that hellspawn." Hiei had done more than save her life. If it weren't for her, she would be a slave to that horrible, sadistic man. And in this moment of clarity, in this moment of pure, raw, unrestrained emotion, she couldn't lie to herself any longer. She felt it burning powerfully within her, and as the tears streamed down her cheeks, she found herself whispering the words she had been so afraid to say, before the time came that she thought she may never say them. "I love you."

Hiei pushed Botan carefully off of him, gripping her by the shoulders. His cold, dark eyes met her tearful, frightened eyes, and for a moment, he was stuck for a response. This girl was crazy about him. He could see it in her eyes, see the emotion burning within her soul. A moment passed, and then another. Finally, he spoke. "Come on, we need to get you out of here. You need some rest."

Tsarakino managed to pull himself back together fairly quickly. While Botan and Hiei were distracted, he drifted back towards the unconscious ogre he had taken control of before. His mind reeled with clarity at what he had to do. He could take no chances, not with Hiei. He needed to get what he was here for and he needed to vanish, and to do that, he needed the body he'd worn in.

A green glow emanated from the eyes of the ogre, and Yoshi was careful to grip what he needed beforehand, wrapping his right hand around the black vial in the pocket. He moved as fast as that accursed ogre could, while Hiei was still tied up with Botan. He only needed a few seconds, and had to count on the distraction to get his job done. Hiei spotted him just as his hand gripped the jaw containing the eye, and by that point, it was too late. With a frightened Botan still blocking Hiei's way, Tsarakino shattered the vial against the ground. He and the jar containing the Jigan were enveloped in the Black Mist, and were gone a second later.

Hiei was uncertain how to feel. He didn't really care about the treasure of the Vault. He, himself, had broken in to steal a demonic blade some time back, the crime that had put him against Detective Urameshi in their first meeting. He didn't know why they had wanted that treasure of the Vault, and a part of him felt a bit down about Tsarakino getting it when he had been there. He'd distracted himself and it had cost him the treasure. But even so, looking at Botan, still tearful from the shock, he couldn't shake this feeling that while Tsarakino may have made off with the treasure, he had managed to keep him from taking something infinitely more valuable.

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"DAMMIT!" Yoshi smashed Atsuko's fist hard against the stone wall, inside the throne room of Tomorrow's Sanctuary. He was more angry than he thought he could be. "I had her, Fjerin, I HAD HER! She was MINE!"

"At least you managed to retrieve the Jigan," Fjerin responded. He was careful with his words, he had never seen Yoshi this angry. "There will be other opportunities, I'm sure. Phase One, at least, was a success." The demon held up the jar, with the horrible, disembodied eye resting within it. He could see the veins and tendons coming off the eyeball like tendrils, and a smile crossed his face when he thought of what would happen with it. "This will make a wonderful addition to Unit K."

Yoshi started to calm down at the mention of Unit K. The thought of the moment of its unveiling made him feel better. Botan had eluded his grasp this time, but now, he was determined to take her. A spirit that determined would be so much fun to break. "Unit K," he started to smile. "Unit K will be a proud moment."

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The battle had ended by the time Botan mustered the strength to return to her work. Hiei had delivered her safely to her room, where she had spent her time resting and trying to come to terms with the shock. She had hoped Hiei would stay with her, but he had left as soon as she was down in her bed. She hadn't seen him since then.

Her footsteps echoed in the halls now, as she approached Koenma's office. She had questions on her mind, questions she needed to ask. She pushed one of the doors open, then slipped herself inside and approached his desk. "Lord Koenma?" she asked, a little bit nervous. He had sent Ayame to awaken her once more, which meant he wanted to see her as much as she wanted to see him. That was probably not good.

Koenma's chair turned to face Botan, and she was surprised to see his teenage form sitting behind his desk, rather than his toddler one. He usually only assumed this form when he was going someplace public. "Glad to see you're back with us," Koenma started. There was a tense air around him that made Botan nervous. When Koenma was this serious, things were bad.

Botan shifted her right foot behind her left. She was still not feeling 100, but now was the best time to ask. "Lord Koenma...I'm terribly sorry, but I have to know...why did we have a Jigan Eye in the Vault? It doesn't seem like that's something we'd be keeping."

"Me," she heard the voice before she noticed him, and it made her jump. Hiei stood back against the wall, next to the screen. He stepped away from the wall, walking towards the door. "They're trying to find a way to beat me."

Botan's confused expression shot from Hiei to Koenma. Koenma did not deny, however, and simply laid his arms down to rest on his desk. "That's not wrong. I've had my people experimenting with the Eye. Yes," he looked to Hiei, "we are trying to find a way to keep your power in check."

"But," Botan argued, "Hiei's one of us, isn't he? I mean, he's helped us a lot..."

Koenma shook his head, his eyes returning to Hiei. He watched as Hiei stepped through the door, not sure where Hiei was going but not sure he cared. He waited a few moments, until he was certain the demon was gone. "Hiei hasn't helped us, Botan. He's performing community service, and some of us are not convinced that he's really reformed. He is dangerous, Botan, even more so with that Black Dragon Hellfire technique of his. I've had my people searching for a way to nullify or, even better, remove his Jigan, in the hopes that it would decrease his power enough to make him more containable."

Botan couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But...I mean, I know he's a criminal, but I don't think–"

"I already know what you think," Koenma sighed. He pressed a button on his desk, and the screen flipped on. Botan turned to see herself, her arms wrapped tightly around Hiei, with tears streaming down her face.

She watched herself embrace the demon, watched her tearful confession. And as she heard herself say the words, "I love you," a chill ran down her spine. She turned slowly back towards Koenma, a look of nervous apprehension on her face. "That's...I mean..." A blush spread across her face, she couldn't deny what she felt.

"Botan," Koenma started, "Hiei is dangerous. He is a threat to everything we've worked so hard to build, and he is a powerful one. If we give him an advantage, give him an opening, I believe he will take it. I need for you to back off of him. I know you're feeling excited, and I know you've seen him do some good things for us, but he's still a dangerous criminal."

"But," Botan insisted, "I can't do that, Lord Koenma. He's...I don't know. I don't believe he's really like that anymore. He's changed, and I've seen it. I've seen what he's done. He saved my life, saved me from becoming a puppet to that horrible Tsarakino."

Koenma sighed. "Botan, please. I need you to do this. I have the responsibility of taking care of this realm as best I can. I can't let anything jeopardize that, I can't allow a criminal such as him to have such an opening. Don't make me do this, Botan. Please. I care about you too much to see you hurt like this."

"Koenma," Botan pleaded, "please...I know it seems strange, but my heart is telling me that what I'm seeing is real. I'm not going to give this up. I'm not giving up my heart."

Koenma sighed. Somehow, he knew this would happen, but he was still not prepared for it. You could never prepare for breaking the heart of someone you cared about. "Then I am truly sorry, Botan, but you have left me no choice. As of this moment, you are relieved of your responsibility as Yusuke's assistant. You will return to your ferrying duties for the dead, and are to have no contact with Yusuke or any of his people, especially the more demonic ones, for the duration of their time working for us. I'm sorry."

Botan could feel her heart beginning to break. Koenma had lowered the hammer, and there was nothing she could do. She could feel the tears starting to come again, and before she could get out another word, she turned and ran from his office. Koenma's word was final, and as the ruler of Reikai, it was law. Her mind raced for Hiei, raced through thoughts of him, and she couldn't understand why Koenma would do this. She knew Hiei wasn't trusted, but this was a level of distrust she didn't even know existed. Was she really the only one that could really see him? She didn't know. All she knew was she had never, in her entire life, felt this alone.

**End Part One. Stay tuned for Part Two: The Lonely Souls.**


	12. Chapter 11: Deafening Silence

**PART TWO: THE LONELY SOULS**

**Chapter Eleven: Deafening Silence**

It had been several days since the attack on Koenma's palace. Things seemed to have quieted down in Japan, but there was utter chaos erupting in Reikai. The battle of ogres had left the palace damaged, and several strategically placed explosives had upset the foundations. Everything was still a mess, and Koenma found himself struggling to keep the reconstruction running smoothly.

Hiei had not been seen since that fateful day when he had faced Yoshi within Botan's mind. He had taken up a place in one of the trees in Reikai, and had not moved from that spot in days. His mind was busy running over everything that had happened to them. He kept finding himself returning to that moment, to Yoshi's possession of Botan. He could not get her words out of his head, those three words that, although he had known were coming, he could not predict how seriously she spoke them, how real they were to her. "I love you." He had known she had some strange fascination with him, some unexplainable attraction, but he had never guessed that she would be as serious as she was when she spoke them.

Botan had shut herself up in her bedroom, and had only come out to eat. She'd distanced herself from everyone, even from Ayame, and ignored every attempt made to reach her. She knew her friends were worried for her, but she found it difficult to care. Her hero was out there somewhere, but she couldn't reach him. She was forbidden to even speak to him, and that made her feel cold inside. He'd saved her life and she couldn't thank him. She loved him, and she could never pursue him.

Back in the human world, life went on as normal. Neither Tsarakino nor the Tomorrow had been sighted in Japan, which gave the boys a temporary reprieve. Yusuke was beginning to grow concerned, however, as his mother had not been home in well over a week now. But he put it out of his mind. She was a strange, alcohol-dependant person. She probably forgot where the house even was, he joked to himself.

Kuwabara had grown increasingly more restless, and his sister had noticed. He was constantly watching every move, every person. He was feeling for Tsarakino everywhere, and it had started to make everyone a little paranoid. They were all growing wary of those around them, wondering when Tsarakino would strike again and how, and through whom. Every person, even in their own group, could be the enemy in disguise. Kuwabara, in particular, had become more cautious. He was the only one that could detect Tsarakino's presence, his careful watch was pivotal to the team.

Kurama had returned to his school, though he had difficulty around the other students. Tsarakino had made him, in particular, a target. He'd come at Kurama through one of his fellow students, and the fox spirit had no doubt he would not hesitate to do so again. Whatever they wanted from him, it made him dangerous to those around him. He, more than anyone, had also begun to notice that the group had become strangely fractured. While Hiei's absence was less than unusual, it was strange that Botan would be gone for this long without a word to anyone. He was surprised to find himself feeling saddened by Botan's absence. He had already begun to miss her.

The days passed by gradually, and at last, they day Yusuke had been waiting for was here. Keiko was coming home, and he was going to be there to meet her. He stood silently, waiting for her, his arms resting on the railing of the bridge, where they met so often. So much had happened in the time she'd been away, and it was eating at his mind. He tried to keep his thoughts on Keiko, but Tsarakino kept coming back to his mind.

What did he want from them? Why was Tsarakino accosting them, what did he want? Yusuke sighed and lowered his head. He had gone after Yusuke first, then after Kurama...a dead man was stalking them. Yusuke almost laughed from the irony of that realization. Possessing bodies, sending messages, he'd done the same thing when he had died. But his hadn't been so...malicious. He was simply doing what he needed to do to help those he cared about and to return to life. Tsarakino was different, leaving cryptic threats and–

"Yusuke!" There she was. Yusuke's thoughts were instantly torn away from Tsarakino when he heard Keiko's voice. He pulled himself up from his slouch, while his head turned to face the end of the bridge. Standing there, in a blue skirt with a blue blouse, and a yellow ribbon tying off the front of it, their school uniform for girls, was Keiko Yukimura, the girl who'd captured his eye.

Keiko was a pretty girl for her age. 14 years old, she had grown up with Yusuke, and wasn't sure quite when the attraction had started. She had short, dark brown hair that came to just the bottom of her neck, which matched beautifully with her dark brown eyes. Keiko knew the risks of being involved with Yusuke. It was during the Dark Tournament that she and Shizuru had forced Botan to reveal where Yusuke and Kuwabara were, and it was then that she discovered the truth behind his role as Spirit Detective.

There wasn't even a moment's hesitation, before Keiko was running for Yusuke. Her footsteps echoed on the bridge, just before she lunged, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging close to him. "I missed you," she smiled and closed her eyes, just wanting to rest here in the moment. It had felt like forever since she'd seen him last.

With a smile on his lips, Yusuke's arms wrapped softly around Keiko, hugging her close. This past week or so had been insanely stressful, but he was relieved to have her back in his arms. This moment made it all worthwhile. It suddenly felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders, and he felt powerful for it. "I missed you too."

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Botan found herself pacing back and forth in her bedroom. Her mind was still racing to deal with what had happened, and every day that passed made her feel more and more alone. She brought her hand up to her forehead, worried she was going to have another crying fit, which had become almost normal for her this past week. But she kept her hold on herself, and managed to keep it from coming.

She could still hear his voice echoing inside her head. "Don't fight it, sweetheart. You and I are going to have a lot of fun together." She could still hear his horrible laughter, his terrible, malicious voice. It resonated within her soul, and even the smallest thing could send her back to that terrible moment. She would be sitting in her room, listening to Ayame try once again to reach out to her. Ayame would say something, it didn't matter what, just a wrong choice of word or even something without any relevance, and it would send Botan spiraling back there, reliving that horrible moment when he made her feel powerless. He had raped her mind, her soul, had taken her power away from her and forced her to become an object for his own use. It had been almost a week since that horrible day and still he haunted her, in her memories. She didn't know if she'd ever be rid of that horrible voice.

The sound came again. The knocking sound on her bedroom door. "Botan?" she heard the voice of her friend, Ayame. Someone who cared about her, trying to reach out to her again. But she ignored the voice. Her friends couldn't help. They didn't understand, they couldn't. How could they understand what she'd been through? How could they even begin to imagine what he'd done to her?

No, she wouldn't answer the door. She wasn't ready to face them again. There was only one person that could make her feel safe, one person that could make her feel better, one person that she wanted to be with now, and she was forbidden to ever see him again. She laid back down in her bed, curling herself into a ball, because the tears were coming again. In the silence of her room, she cried, alone.

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The food court was nearly empty at this time in the afternoon. Most kids were still in school. Keiko had the day off, as she'd had the previous days off, for her family vacation. She sat with Yusuke, listening to him. She had insisted that he confide in her about his cases, and it was making him feel better to do so. She was a good listener.

"So, wait, the guy's dead?" she asked, a curious expression dwelling on her face. "How do you know that?"

"Kurama talked to his sister," Yusuke responded. "We found out where he lived, but he hasn't been there. Apparently he died three years ago, so he's a spirit now."

"Wow," Keiko marveled. "That's...how do you fight someone like that?"

"I don't know," Yusuke admitted. "We've only seen him in bodies he was using. I'm not sure if he even has a physical body, it's probably all rotted and gross by now."

Keiko nodded her head, her eyes transfixed on Yusuke. "It's hard to imagine. This guy sounds very dangerous. And you say there's more of him?"

"Well, kinda," Yusuke commented. "He's got a boss, some kind of demon that runs a whole cult. I think his name was Fjerin, if I recall correctly. Haven't actually seen him yet, I've just had a few run-ins with Tsarakino."

"A boss? Are you sure he's this guy's boss?" Keiko questioned. "I mean, maybe they share power, or something like that. Maybe the Tomorrow has two guys in charge of it."

"Well, maybe," Yusuke nodded. He hadn't thought about that. "It is possible, I guess." Keiko had a good point, he really didn't know that...wait a second... "Wait, what did you just say?" Suspicion started to grow in Yusuke's eyes.

"Hmm? Oh, I was just thinkin–"

"You called them the Tomorrow," Yusuke responded quickly. "How did you know that name? You just got back today and I never once said the name of their group. How did you know they were called the Tomorrow?" Suspicion was evident in Yusuke's eyes.

A malicious smirk spread across Keiko's face, while she uttered the word, "Oops."

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Ayame returned, alone, to Koenma's office. "She's not answering again," the ferry girl sighed. "I think you really hurt her."

Koenma had returned to his toddler form, and was seated in his big chair. He looked down at the paperwork on his desk, but he didn't have the stomach for it. "It's for her own good," he sighed. "She needs to understand how dangerous that demon is. We're in a state of emergency right now, we can't afford for anything to go wrong." After the attack on the palace, a state of emergency had been declared. The Tomorrow had proven themselves more dangerous than Koenma had given them credit for, and Tsarakino, in particular, had proven himself a threat worthy of an A-rating, if not an S, on their ranking system.

This wasn't the first time something had been stolen from the Vault. Hiei had pulled it off once before, along with Kurama and a demon by the name of Gouki. But their theft had been different. Where they had pulled it off with stealth, with cunning, Tsarakino had done it with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. This was not the first time the Vault was ripped off, but it was the first time the act had been done by sheer brute force. Tsarakino had taken apart two guard units, had almost taken Botan hostage, and had escaped with a prize from the Vault during a standoff with Hiei. Koenma wanted him neutralized and he wanted it done ASAP. That astral specter was simply too dangerous.

"What would you have me do, Ayame?" That was the question that Koenma had chosen to fall back on. Ayame had voiced her disapproval of Koenma's decision several times over the past few days. "What would you have done, in my place?"

Ayame sighed. She knew Koenma's reasoning, and honestly, she didn't trust Hiei any more than Koenma did. But even so, if Botan really loved this demon as much as she had grown to suspect, this wasn't the answer. "I don't know, my lord. But...with all due respect, I don't believe that cutting her off from her heart's desire is going to solve anything. I just hope it doesn't make things worse."

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"What the hell do you want from me, Tsarakino!" Yusuke's fingertip was glowing with blue energy, as he pointed his Spirit Gun in Keiko's direction. Tsarakino had spread Keiko's arms wide, making her an easy target.

"Go ahead, Detective. Take your best shot. Seeing you blow this poor girl away would probably be the mood-lifter I need right now. Shoot me. C'mon, it'll be fun." Tsarakino laughed, his harsh, vicious laugh, and hearing Keiko's voice make that horrible sound stung Yusuke's ears.

Yusuke lowered his Spirit Gun. Once again, he found himself incapable of using his spirit weapon, because of the risk it carried. He could almost hear Kuwabara's voice in his head, and he agreed. Tsarakino was a coward, hiding behind a little girl. A cruel, manipulative strategy. But, he was forced to admit, an effective one.

Tsarakino smirked, watching Yusuke lower his weapon. "There we go, that's a good boy."

"What do you want from me," Yusuke snarled through clenched teeth. He was more determined now than ever to find some way of shutting Tsarakino down permanently.

"I just want to send a message, Detective. I want to show you firsthand what happens to those who stand in my way." Keiko's voice was harsh and cold, lowered to a tone Yusuke had never realized she was capable of.

"I'm not afraid of you, Tsarakino." It was the truth.

"Maybe not," the devil wearing Keiko's face responded, "maybe not. But you should be. I wanted to look you in the eyes and make sure you understand. I wanted to make this absolutely clear. I want you to realize just how much you stand to lose by facing me." Tsarakino ran Keiko's hand down to the table, taking a small knife from Yusuke's plate. "Most of all, I want you to understand exactly how much I can take away from you." With those words, to stress his meaning, he lashed the knife down Keiko's arm, driving it deep and forcing her to cut herself no matter how hard she tried to resist. The pain was excruciating.

"You–" Yusuke watched the action in horror and grabbed Keiko's wrist, pulling the knife away from her arm.

"Good day, Detective," was the last he heard, before Tsarakino was gone. Keiko gasped suddenly, free from the monster's grip, and collapsed into Yusuke's arms. The pain in her arm was agonizing, and she began to sob in Yusuke's arms while she cradled the deep gash.

Holding her close, Yusuke turned his eyes towards the sky. Tsarakino was out there somewhere, and now, more than ever, he was determined to find him and bring him down. That manipulative bastard would not get away with this.


	13. Chapter 12: Impossible to Replace

**Chapter Twelve: Impossible to Replace**

"Yusuke, what was that thing?" Keiko sat within Yusuke's bedroom, in his metaphorically empty house. Her legs were curled up on the mattress, and he had draped his blanket around her shoulders to help her keep warm. He'd also managed to scrounge up a mug and a packet of hot chocolate, which she was now sipping. It wasn't particularly cold out, but she was shaken up by the mental invasion that had pre-empted her meeting with Yusuke, and keeping warm was a good way to keep from shivering.

"A ghost," Yusuke responded carefully. "That thing is my newest case. Dead guy named Tsarakino. Professional asshole. What happened back there, Keiko? I mean, when did he nab you?" Yusuke was worried for Keiko, but also wanted to know just how long he'd been speaking with Tsarakino without knowing it.

Keiko brought her free hand up to her forehead, while the other steadied her mug of hot cocoa. "I was coming to meet you, like we'd promised. I missed you a lot, I was in a hurry, and then...this thing showed up. I started hearing whispers in my head, and then my body stopped moving. It felt like my brain was being torn apart, and then the whispers turned into voices. I tried to fight him, but he was too strong. I mean, really, really strong."

Tsarakino had taken her before the bridge meeting. Yusuke felt sick inside when he thought of how long that creature had kept her captive inside her body, and felt disgusted when he realized that had been Tsarakino he had embraced back there on the bridge, Tsarakino playing the role of Keiko. He tried to think of something to tell her, something to calm her, but his own mind was racing. Tsarakino had gone after him through Keiko. What if he came back for her? Tried to use her again? How was he going to protect her from something that struck invisibly to the mind?

Hardening his resolve, Yusuke swore internally once again to take Tsarakino down and make him pay for the things he'd done. But something was nagging at his mind. "Keiko, you said he came for you when you were coming to meet me? While you were still awake?"

Keiko nodded her head in confirmation. "Yeah, while I was awake. Why? Is something wrong."

Yusuke scratched his head, trying to think. "I don't know. It's just that...I mean, when I died, Botan told me I couldn't do that. I could only take over bodies that were either asleep or unconscious. I couldn't even do more than portray a simple concept to anyone, and even then, only to Kuwabara because he's got a really strong sixth sense. Tsarakino shouldn't be able to take over a body that's awake, that's like...changing the rules in the middle of the game!"

Keiko wasn't sure what to say. She didn't really understand what Yusuke meant; she'd never been dead before, so she wasn't sure how it worked. But Yusuke sounded genuinely confused, so she tried to offer a suggestion. "Maybe it's like you and Kuwabara, where you have that gun thing you do and then he's got a sword?"

Yusuke shook his head. "I'm pretty sure it doesn't work like that. Hmm...but maybe he's got some kind of government job that gives him special privileges, or something." Even to Yusuke that sounded stupid. Why would the Reikai palace have hired Tsarakino? And if they had, they'd have told him when they first started going after him. "I don't know."

"Or maybe," came a young, feminine voice from the doorway. "Just maybe, he's not actually a ghost." A young woman stood in the doorway, dressed in a black kimono with a dark violet siding around the edges. She stood at 5'3" and had black hair that came to midway down her back, which she kept long and straight. She also had the creepiest of violet eyes which, coupled with her pale skin, gave her a sort of undead vibe.

Before Yusuke could even respond, the woman stepped forward, holding her hand out to him. Her voice was direct and to the point when she spoke, without even an ounce of friendliness to it. All that seemed to matter to this girl was getting straight to business. "Detective Urameshi? My name is Megumi. Lord Koenma has assigned me to the position of assisting the Spirit Detective, and I've been informed that is you, no matter how...unfurnished you may look."

Yusuke's hair bristled at the comment about his looks. He had to say, this was a first. He'd known the woman five seconds and already disliked her. That was a new record. "Where's Botan?" he asked her, that question taking more importance than any other in his mind at the moment. "Why isn't she here, and why are you?"

Megumi scoffed at the question. "I am here because I can do the job. Because I understand the job better than any of the lackwits under Lord Koenma's guidance. As for the sentimental girl, she is not here because she has proven herself incapable of maintaining a professional distance from her people."

Yusuke opened his mouth to question, but Megumi shut it down with more words. "Not here. If you must know, then I am sure the rest of your...and I use this word loosely...team...will be dying to hear it too. Besides, I have information that Lord Koenma wishes me to share with you. Assemble the men at whatever wrangled excuse for a meeting hall you children have and I will speak to everyone."

He had known this woman half a minute, and he outright hated her. Definitely a record.

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Kuwabara sat solemnly atop the rooftop, looking out at the city below. He was seated atop the apartment complex where his sister and he lived. The sounds of the city rushed by below him, but he paid them little attention. His mind was too distracted to worry about them. Somewhere out there, perhaps, or in Makai, Tsarakino was laughing at them. The invisible creep thought he was invincible, but they would see. I mean, this guy was sloppy. Even Kuwabara could tell that. He either didn't know how to do what he was trying to do, or he just didn't put much effort into it. He was really sloppy, and he made mistakes too often. He'd probably give himself away, and when he did, Kuwabara'd beat this guy down himself.

Kuwabara rose from his seat, getting restless. He wanted to be in Makai looking for this guy, but the others had agreed that it would not be a good idea to rush headfirst into unknown enemy territory. They had done it plenty of times before, though, hadn't they? When they had gone to fight the four Saint Beasts of Makai, they had dove in headfirst. When they had rescued that beautiful blue-haired demon girl, his precious Yukina...the icy-blue haired maiden whose tears turned to precious gems, an aspect that vile man Tarukane had been exploiting to make himself rich...he and Yusuke had gone to rescue her, which was where they first met the Toguro brothers they had fought in the Dark Tournament. Yukina...she was the most beautiful girl Kuwabara had ever seen, and every time he thought of her, it made him feel warm inside. Precious Yukina...wait, what was his point again? Dammit, every time she came up he lost his train of thought.

Oh, well. He started for the stairs leading down from the rooftop. Might as well head in. Maybe there was a fun game to play on his computer or something. He started down the stairs, but then he started to feel a sensation of uneasiness creep over him. He felt something strange, although he wasn't quite sure what. Something was starting to unnerve him, and it made him walk faster. However, by the time he'd reached his apartment, the feeling was gone. Whatever it was, it had left.

He opened the door and stepped inside, and for a moment, he thought he heard his sister's voice. Creeping carefully to her closed bedroom door, he pressed his ear gently to the wood, and confirmed that she was definitely speaking. "Don't go!" she said to the thin air. "Come back! Dammit, come back here!"

Kuwabara knocked lightly on Shizuru's door, wondering what was going on. "Go away!" she snapped, and he decided it was better of not knowing. Taking off for his room, he decided to leave her to whatever psychosis had her talking to herself. He only stopped for a moment, to scoop up his precious kitten into his arms, before heading for his room to lose himself in that computer of his. But before he even managed to turn it on, the phone rang.

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Botan rolled over in her bed when she heard a light knocking on her door again. Ayame was back. Botan ignored the first knock. When the second came, she ignored that as well. However, on the third knock, she reluctantly climbed out of her bed and walked over to open the door. Fine, she decided, if Ayame really wanted to watch her sulk, then so be it. She opened the door, but was surprised to see Koenma standing in the hall, rather than Ayame. This was a surprise. Not a pleasant surprise, but a surprise, nonetheless. "Koenma," she sighed, her voice lacking both the usual respect she carried for him and the 'Lord' prefix. "What do you want?"

"Botan," the toddler started. "Listen, I know you're upset right now. Ayame's really worried about you. I just wanted to tell you that–"

"You know what?" Botan snapped. She was more angry than she'd ever been. The stress had been piling up. She had enough trouble dealing with the nightmares of Tsarakino, she didn't want to deal with this too. "We're not going to do this. Okay? I'll do my job, and I'll follow whatever stupid orders you give me. But this? This is my time. If I want to spend my time sulking in my room, then I am going to. If I don't want to speak to Ayame, then I'm not going to. And you? Again, this is my time, and y'know what? You have lost the right to speak to me on my time." With that, she slammed the door in Koenma's face and turned back for her bed. Part of her couldn't believe she had just done that to the prince of Reikai, but her day was too darkened to care. Like all days before this since that horrible incident with Tsarakino, she laid herself down in her bed, pulled her knees up to her chest, and tried to make the world go away.

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School had finally gotten out, and Kurama had headed straight home immediately. He didn't want to leave his mother alone, not with Tsarakino still out there somewhere, and possibly still fixated on him. "Hey, Shuichi!" Maya called to him as he passed her, but he didn't even look back. He was in too much of a hurry.

He'd spent every day worrying since the day Yusuke, Kuwabara, and he had gone to the Tsarakino residence. Wondering who would be Tsarakino's next host if he came for him, or really, any of them again. Wondering why a ghost like that hadn't been picked up and taken for judgment a long time ago. Something just seemed wrong about it, but he couldn't place his finger on it.

He couldn't help but wonder where Botan had disappeared to. It wasn't like her to up and vanish in the middle of a case, and he doubted Tsarakino and Fjerin had been dealt with already. Where could she be? The absence unnerved him, and only served to make him worry more about Botan's plight.

Kurama arrived at his front door quickly, having gone on foot and cheating a little with demonic speed. He opened the door carefully, checking around to make sure nothing was out of place before he entered. "Mother?" he called, and smiled when he heard her respond.

"I'm in the kitchen, Shuichi!" Kurama breathed a sigh of relief. She sounded normal, he wasn't getting any warnings off her. Hurrying into the kitchen, Kurama gave his human mother a hug, just as he did every day after school. "Dinner will be ready in a couple of hours," she smiled. "By the way, there was a phone call for you a couple of minutes ago. Your friend Yusuke. He said it was important."

Kurama sighed inwardly. Important from Yusuke meant it had to do with the case, and that so rarely carried good news with it. "Thank you, mother," he responded, "I'd better go see what he wants." He slipped out of the kitchen and headed for his bedroom. He could use the phone from his bedroom to call, to keep his mother from listening in on things she was best off not hearing.

Kurama stopped for a moment just before he reached his room. That's strange...the door was closed. He had left it open when he'd left for school, and his mother didn't really go in and out of there much at all. This was out of place, and he decided to be careful. His right hand gently traced the knob, twisting it slowly, quietly, before easing it open. His left hand reached down into the pocket of his uniform, wrapping slowly around a slender, cut rose. He knew he couldn't envoke his Rose Whip here without attracting unwanted attention from his mother, but it was best to be as careful as he could, nonetheless. He took a deep breath, and then he pushed the door open quickly, to surprise any intruder that may be inside.

Kurama started breathing again as soon as he saw his room. That's why the door was closed, he realized. Tsarakino had him on the edge, and was making him paranoid. He smiled, closing the door behind him and hoping his visitor hadn't noticed him making a fool of himself. He doubted it, though. Hiei sat perched on the windowsill, gazing out into the distance. He hadn't even moved.

"You startled me," Kurama chuckled. "I thought for a moment that he had come back." Kurama didn't have to specify a he. There was only one he that held his concern, and Hiei knew it. Hiei was silent, however. Not even acknowledging that Kurama had spoken. This was more stoic of Hiei than Kurama was used to, and that was saying something. Hiei was typically fairly stoic, but this seemed even more than usual. Something was wrong, something he was trying to place.

Hiei sat there in silence, his mind going over the same details he had gone over for days. Those same three words cycled in his head, "I love you," the heartspoken, tearful words of a girl who had almost lost everything. He had fought for her, done everything he could to protect her, and for what? Why had he done it? She appeared to see something in him that he was certain wasn't there. What did she see? What did she believe he was? Why? That was the question that had haunted him over and over and over again. He was a demon. She was a spirit. He had threatened her with death on several separate occasions. Of all the men in the group, of all the men she knew...

Hiei didn't even move his head. He kept his windowsill perch, while he looked out at the sky above. "Why me, Kurama?" Those were the first words out of Hiei's mouth, finally speaking. Kurama was confused by the question, he didn't understand what Hiei meant. But he listened, nonetheless. "Why would she choose me?"


	14. Chapter 13: Civilians and Demons

Hey, y'all. I apologive for the time that's passed between the previous update and this one. Had a pretty nasty couple of days at work, but I've gotten that straightened out. Anyway, enjoy the next chapter of _Angels and Devils_.

-Terra Drake

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**Chapter Thirteen: Civilians and Demons**

"Why me, Kurama?" Hiei sighed, without turning his attention away from the sky above the windowsill. He had asked himself this question time and time again, and so far, he had yet to find an answer for it. "Why would she choose me?" He couldn't understand what would compel her to love a demon like himself. Why she would care so strongly for him.

Kurama was quiet for a moment, uncertain what to say. He didn't know quite what they were talking about, and so he thought it best to listen. But when it seemed that Hiei wasn't going to say anymore, he decided to ask his question. "Who?"

"Botan," Hiei spoke without a moment's hesitation, but he didn't say another word.

Kurama was attempting to piece things together, but one thing in particular intrigued him. "You've seen Botan?" Her disappearance was as of yet unexplained, and this made him curious the moment Hiei said her name.

"Not since the attack," Hiei responded. "Koenma's orders."

Kurama blinked his eyes for a moment, He was clearly out of the loop on something. What attack? And why would Koenma order Botan not to have any contact? There was definitely something more to this than what he knew, and now he really wanted to know. "What attack? And why would Koenma order that?"

Hiei finally turned his head, to look at Kurama sitting on his bed inside the room. "Tsarakino made an attack on Koenma's palace almost a week ago. Several of the ogres that King Yama has serving as guards were made into Tomorrow cultists, and they fought a civil war while Tsarakino ripped off a Jigan from the Vault." Kurama's eyes widened when he heard this. There had definitely been something major going on.

"What would he want with a Jigan?" Kurama wondered aloud, but Hiei said nothing and returned his gaze outside, so Kurama assumed it best to drop the subject. "I still don't understand, though. What did you mean about Botan choosing you?"

Hiei was hesitant to speak for a moment, trying to organize his thoughts. Finally, he spoke, although his voice was only slightly softer than it usually was. "Tsarakino tried to take her with him when he left, as his host." He fell silent again.

Kurama was confused now. Was that where Botan was? Had Tsarakino taken her? "What happened?"

Hiei tilted his head back against the window frame and now stared up at the top, in thought. "I took her back." He wasn't certain why he had done it, and that confused him. Why had he cared so much if Botan was taken? And why had it felt so good that he had managed to keep her safe? Something wasn't right.

For Kurama, however, this was the best news he had heard all night. "You can fight Tsarakino?" Hope started to fill him, that perhaps they had found a way–

"No," Hiei responded. "At least, I haven't found a way to yet. All I did was telepathically enforce her and help push him out of her body."

And that quashed it. Kurama had been hoping for a way to hurt, maybe even defeat Tsarakino. "So what happened? I don't understand."

Hiei turned his head back down, taking a look at his own hands. Hands that had been stained with the blood of many, hands that wielded enough dark power to immolate a powerful flame elemental without a trace being left. Hands that had taken apart Bui, the powerhouse warrior with a nasty battle aura composed entirely of his massive spirit energy, during the Dark Tournament. The hands of a killer. A cold, ruthless warrior who fought with deadly accuracy. "She said she loved me." His voice was lighter than its usual dark tone, and carried confusion and a lack of understanding within it.

"Hiei..." Kurama's voice was filled with a tender intrigue, because now he was definitely curious. But, remembering his mother's words, he knew he had to wait. "Hiei...Yusuke has something important to tell. I think he probably wants to call a meeting at Kuwabara's house. I hate to do this, but can we discuss this later? I really want to talk about this."

Hiei looked at Kurama for a moment, then turned his attention away, back to the wilderness outside the house.

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Shizuru kept herself locked tight inside her room. She listened to the sounds outside her door, waiting for her visitor to return, but knowing he wouldn't if there were people in the apartment with her. She paced back and forth, too excited to go to bed but too angry to go outside, simply settling for locking herself in here with her thoughts. She almost couldn't believe it. She'd never been this excited about anything before.

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It wasn't long before the guys had gotten themselves together. Yusuke was the first to arrive, bringing Keiko with him simply because he didn't trust leaving her alone where Tsarakino could get her. Regrettably, he also brought Megumi trailing along after. She wasn't even inside the house before she started bitching.

"Why are we here?" she pushed. "This is a civilian residence. This is not a place for plans or information."

"We're here," Yusuke snarled, "because this is where we meet. If you don't like it, go somewhere you do like, while we meet here."

Megumi narrowed her eyes at Yusuke when Kuwabara answered the door. "Hey, Urameshi," Kuwabara greeted him. "Who's this? Some demon captive?" His eyes turned up to Megumi.

Megumi glared down at Kuwabara and snarled her disapproval to Yusuke. "A civilian? You've involved a CIVILIAN in your work!" She was clearly very, very displeased. "What in the name of King Yama would compel you to bring a civilian into this!"

Yusuke ignored Megumi's outrage, but Kuwabara was put on the defensive. "Hey, I'm not a–"

"You," Megumi interrupted, "are not a Spirit Detective. You are not a Reikai spirit. You are not a Makai demon. You are a Ningenkai civilian, which has no place in this unit. What, pray tell, do you offer to the group?"

"My Spirit Sword can–"

Once again, Megumi interrupted. "Spirit Sword? Your spirit energy manifests in the form of a large, phallic instrument?" She rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised?"

Kuwabara's honor prevented him from hurting a girl, but Megumi was seriously pushing him. "Who is this girl?" he shot at Yusuke?

Yusuke sighed, regretting ever meeting her. "She's the new Botan."

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It wasn't long before the team had come together. Yusuke had taken a seat on the bed, with Keiko seated beside him, resting her head on his shoulder while Kuwabara rested backwards on his chair. Hiei stood against the wall, near the window where he had sat the last meeting, with his arms folded and his head tilted down in thought. Meanwhile, Kurama stood in front of the closed door with his hands humbly folded behind his back, listening. Megumi stood against the door, and had already personally snubbed each of them.

She could not believe THIS was the team that had won the Dark Tournament. Her eyes passed from one to the next repeatedly, trying to comprehend how this had happened. An undertrained thug of a detective, an idiot manchild, a convicted felon, and a horsewhipped demon who probably didn't even remember HOW to fight?

"Alright," Yusuke turned his head to Megumi, while his hand ran softly up and down Keiko's arm to comfort her, "What's going on, Megumi? Where is Botan, and why are you here?"

Megumi had already become impatient with this group. She had volunteered out of the belief that she'd be working with a talented Spirit Detective who knew what he was doing and was serious about his work. So far, all she knew from this man was that he was a gruff thug, and frankly, she couldn't care less about him now. If she had known this, she never would have taken the position. "Botan is not here," she growled, "because she allowed her judgment to become jeopardized in a fashion which endangered not only herself but the rest of the Reikai government."

Kurama's eyes darted to Hiei. Did Megumi mean him? Was that the "jeopardized judgment" Megumi was speaking of? "What did she do?" he asked, without taking his eyes off Hiei.

Megumi shook her head. "I am not at liberty to discuss–"

Hiei cut her off. "She developed romantic feelings that she shouldn't have." Megumi glared at Hiei. She did not like being interrupted.

A wide grin passed over Yusuke's face. "Botan in love? Now, I gotta hear this. Who with? Anyone we know?" Megumi didn't respond, and neither did Hiei. Hiei's eyes passed towards the window, and silence was all that came from him.

Megumi spent a few moments composing herself before speaking again. As distasteful as this job was, she was going to carry it out. Perhaps she could even whip these idiots into shape. "In any case, she will not be returning. Ever." A silence fell over the group as they struggled with that. Botan was one of them. She'd been a part of the team the longest, for as far back as Yusuke had been Spirit Detective. She'd been there with them on every case they took, proudly doing her job as Yusuke's assistant. And now she was gone.

"That's stupid!" Yusuke insisted! "Botan is one of us!"

"And I am not surprised," Megumi quipped, "that you people are in as much need of help as you are, considering that. Now, there's more. Recently, the palace of Reikai was attacked by Agents of Tomorrow. The agent known as Yoshi Tsarakino was able to infiltrate the Vault and remove an artifact from it. We don't know what–"

"A Jigan Eye," Hiei interrupted a second time. "He took a Jigan Eye in a glass jar."

Megumi glared hatefully at Hiei before she spoke again. "Well, then. A Jigan Eye. He took it and escaped back to their lair, after overpowering a considerable number of armed officials."

"He also tried to take Botan," Hiei spoke once more. "But he failed."

"What is he?" Keiko asked the question that Yusuke had asked before. She was as curious as the others. She didn't understand most of what was going on, but this thing had taken hold of her body once before, and she wanted to know just what it was that had invaded her so personally.

"We...we don't know," Megumi confessed. "He is not a standard ghost, that much has been ascertained. Botan seems to know, but she's been uncooperative of late. What we do know is that he is dangerous, and should not be–"

"Why are you even here?" Hiei glared at Megumi. He strongly disliked this woman, she was a very poor replacement for Botan. Something in him was offended at the very concept of replacing Botan, and only fueled his dislike. "You don't know anything. What was the point of this meeting? To reaffirm your ignorance?"

"Well," Megumi retorted, "If you really think you can–"

Hiei spoke without hesitation, reciting what Botan had told him. "Yoshi Tsarakino is an astral specter. A psychic whose power was astral projection. His power manifested at the time that he died, and his astral form manifested without a body to link to. This grants him the freedom to invade, influence, and even control the minds of others, regardless of whether they are awake or unconscious." Megumi snarled at Hiei for showing her up, and Hiei simply smirked.

Kurama's eyes widened when he heard this. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Keiko were clueless as to what this meant, but Kurama understood. "An astral specter...I always believed that to be impossible."

"So did we," Megumi spoke curiously. She wasn't certain if the demon's information could be trusted. "So the question is, what do we do now?"

"We find a way to hurt him," Yusuke responded, taking charge.

"He can't be hurt," Megumi scoffed.

"They said that about Toguro too," Yusuke grinned. He had proven them wrong in the tournament. "I kicked his butt, and I'll kick Tsarakino's too."

Megumi rubbed her forehead. "This concept really is beyond you, isn't it? It's not that you can't kick his butt, Detective. It's that he does not have a butt to kick."

"The point," Yusuke clarified, "is that no one, NO ONE is invincible. We'll find a way to beat this guy." Keiko smiled when he said that. She hadn't really seen him in Spirit Detective mode, save for a few matches at the Dark Tournament, but she liked it. "Now, Megumi, I want you to go back and see if Koenma has anything useful. If not, then wait until he does to come back. And don't bring up any more meetings if you don't know anything." Yusuke sounded almost angry at this point. The communal dislike of Megumi was coming out through him.

After the meeting had adjourned, Kurama headed for home while Hiei left for parts unknown. Yusuke approached Kuwabara before leaving; he needed a favor that he couldn't provide alone. "Kuwabara, I need you to do something for me."

"Urameshi?" Kuwabara asked.

"I need for you to watch over Keiko tonight." Yusuke sighed. This was what he hadn't told the others. "Tsarakino came after me today using her as a body. You're the only one that can feel him coming, I'd appreciate it if you would keep her safe."

"Uh...sure..." Kuwabara nodded his head. "But, uh, aren't here parents going to want her home?" Yusuke only nodded.

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Hiei knew that Kurama wanted to talk more about Botan, but he didn't feel up to it right now. He had just spent the most pointless amount of time he'd ever wasted, delivering information to someone who should already have known it. Now, he simply wanted to be alone. Heading into the woods outside the city, Hiei sought out a good tree, where he could stop and rest for the night. A pair of eyes watched him from the shadows, glowing green eyes that seemed to follow his movements. His Jigan told him it was there, and his face began to lighten. Someone was following him, and he could use a bit of fun before heading for bed. Whoever it was, they were going to learn the danger of stalking the fire demon Hiei.


	15. Chapter 14: The Enemy Within

**Chapter Fourteen: The Enemy Within**

"Thank you for doing this," Keiko smiled weakly. She had taken Kuwabara home to keep an eye on her and ensure that Tsarakino didn't come back for her. With his powerful sixth sense, he'd be able to detect Tsarakino's presence if he came anywhere near them. Her home was close now, they could both see it as they walked. The sky was getting darker now, and a pale shade fell over the two as they walked. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. That...thing...was just..." Keiko experienced a full body shiver, remembering how horrible it had been to have him inside her mind.

"Hey, no problem." Kuwabara lifted his fist up in front of himself, grinning. "That thing comes anywhere near you, I'll give it a taste of my Spirit Sword!" Keiko giggled a little at Kuwabara's proud stance. The two had become fast friends, back when Yusuke had died. They'd met under the strangest of circumstances, with the dead Yusuke's attempt at returning to life bringing them to their first meeting, as his best friend and his rival. Keiko had since taken the position of girlfriend, with Kuwabara rising to take the claim of best friend.

"We're almost to my house," Keiko sighed. "I just hope my parents are in a good mood. They probably aren't going to enjoy the idea of having a boy they've never met sleep over, especially this soon after she got back. She knew she was going to have to put up with some fairly suspicious looks, but it was necessary. She definitely couldn't explain to them what was going on. Even if they would believe her, which she doubted, she did not want to have to deal with them freaking out over her being made a target because of Yusuke.

Kuwabara whistled as they approached the building. Keiko's family made their home in the back of a ramen restaurant, which was run by her parents. The place was closing up by this time, and she was sure her parents were wondering where she was. She wasn't usually out this long, especially considering she'd just gotten back from vacation.

Keiko pushed the door open and hurried inside. She was soon greeted by the voice of her mother, calling out to her. "Keiko!" The girl ran to her mother and gave her a hug, while Kuwabara walked slowly towards them. "Where have you been? We were worried!" The mother's eyes fell upon Kuwabara, and a look of concern washed over her face when she saw him. "And who is this?"

Keiko's mother looked young for her age. She was in her late thirties, but she looked like a twenty-year-old version of Keiko. She had brown hair that came down to her shoulders and light brown eyes, with only a few wrinkles in her distinct features. She stood about 5'4, and was dressed in a light green robe. Keiko smiled warmly, gesturing at Kuwabara. "This is my friend, Kazuma Kuwabara. Kuwabara, this is my mom."

Kuwabara grinned like an idiot. "Hi, nice meetin' ya."

Mrs. Yukimura looked down at her daughter, who spoke with a nervous tone in her voice. "Mom, is it okay if Kuwabara spends the night here tonight?" Her mother looked like she was about to argue, so Keiko continued. "His...um...his sister is having a party, and he needs a place to-to-to stay!" She garbled the lie out as fast as she could, and only hoped it would work. "Please?"

Mrs. Yukimura rubbed her hand under her chin, considering for a moment. It was a school night, and although tomorrow was a day Keiko had off, she was certain this Kuwabara boy did not. But, if what Keiko suggested was true, then he would likely not get much sleep at his home, either. So, with a reluctant sigh, she agreed. "Okay, he can stay."

A smile washed over Keiko's face. She wrapped her arms tightly around her mother's neck, hugging her with everything she had. "THANKS, MOM!" She hadn't expected her to cave so quickly, and it made things so much easier.

"But," Mrs. Yukimura interjected, "I want you to leave your door open." She was very serious about this point, and Keiko blushed in embarrassment when she realized what her mother was suggesting. "Leave your door open, and then he can stay."

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Slowly, carefully, she crept through the branches. Her eyes constantly following the demon Hiei as he moved, watching carefully to make sure she couldn't lose him. She'd been following him for over an hour, though it had been difficult to watch him once he left the house. She was, however, determined to keep track of him.

He was fast, however. She had had to drop the stealth and run several times just to avoid losing him, and even then, she wasn't nearly as fast as he was. She was only lucky that he wasn't using his full speed. Part of her nagged about this, though, that he was moving just fast enough that she could keep up. That suggested he knew she was there.

He disappeared suddenly, faster than her eyes could track. She cursed internally, she wouldn't lose him! She had come this far, she was not going to– "Why are you following me?" She heard his voice behind her, like a shadow stalking over her. Whirling around on the branch, she saw only nothing, for he had vanished once more.

"Calm down," she whispered to herself. She couldn't afford to get nervous, to get afraid. Hiei was a dangerous person to be around, but she knew she could control herself, she knew that she could handle this mission. She had the power, after all, not him. She had the–

"I will not ask again." Hiei dropped straight down onto the branch right in front of her, causing her to shriek and topple backwards. Losing her balance on the branch, she fell and landed hard on her back, on the hard grass floor below. The glowing green eyes from her visor dimmed for a moment, because she found herself afraid.

The woman was a demon, this was unmistakable. If the dark red scales that rippled up and down her body were not evidence enough, there were also the horns that grew from her shoulders, curling upwards. A hard shelled V shape came down along her forehead, coming up into further horns as it rose. Her eyes were concealed by a thick, black visor that ran from one side of her head to the other. Long, silver hair streamed down from behind the V shape, hair that came down all the way to her waist. Lastly, her wrists contained concealed blades, with only the very edges poking out from the raised slits when retracted.

Hiei stood in the branch, staring down at the demon girl. "Who are you? Talk." She'd been following him for some reason, and he wanted to know it. The girl curled her lip up into a snarl, but Hiei simply scoffed. "Do not insult me. Now, I will not ask again." He unsheathed his sword about two inches, to demonstrate just how serious he was.

The girl scowled up at him. She did not like being caught, and especially did not like being cornered like this. "My name is Kitrone. I saw you fight in the Tournament." She wasn't lying. She knew his capacities, knew his power over fire and understood just how dangerous his ultimate technique, the Black Dragon Hellfire, could be. She knew she had to be very cautious. "I was hoping to meet–"

"Then go find one of those other fools from the other teams," Hiei scoffed. "I don't have time for this." His mood was fouler than usual. Disappearing in a puff of speed, he was gone, leaving Kitrone alone on the ground.

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"So...uh...Kuwabara, was it?" Mr. Yukimura questioned. Kuwabara was one of very few male friends that Keiko had, at least, that the Yukimuras had met. "How do you know our daughter?"

Kuwabara glanced at Keiko for a moment, uncertain about how much he should tell. Obviously none of the Spirit Detective information could come into play, but how much about Yusuke did they know? Did they even know Keiko had a boyfriend? "We...um...we met through Urameshi," he offered, hoping it would be enough.

Evidently it was, for the mother smiled and the father simply nodded. Mrs. Yukimura reached over and ran her hand affectionately down her daughter's hair. "That boy can be a handful. I hope you can help smack some sense into him, Kuwabara. I know our Keiko's been trying her hardest." Keiko blushed and looked down at her plate.

Images danced through Kuwabara's mind. He saw himself faced against Yusuke in one of their sparring matches. He lunged, thrusting his fist down at the shorter fighter, but Yusuke retaliated by pushing underneath the fist and striking him twice in the stomach, before lifting his own fist up and connecting it to Kuwabara's jaw. Kuwabara stumbled back for a moment, dazed by the attack, which gave Yusuke the opportunity to throw himself forward and land one more shot right to Kuwabara's face, sending him sliding hard along the ground, crashing his head against the wall. As the image faded, Kuwabara gulped. "Yeah...I do what I can."

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Deep within Tomorrow's Sanctuary, the demon Fjerin paced restlessly before his throne. Lost in thought and in anxiety, his eyes kept darting towards the chained up Atsuko, waiting eagerly for news from his most talented spy. The jar containing the Jigan Eye sat beside the throne, waiting for the time when it would find a host in Unit K.

"What is keeping him so long?" the demon muttered. He was eager for news and did not like being kept waiting, though he knew it was mostly his own eagerness for Phase Two of their operation that was getting to him. Tsarakino's necessary vessel for Phase Four needed time to dig through, and this was an operation he knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, Tsarakino would enjoy.

Fjerin turned his attention to Atsuko once more, watching her lay against the ground. Her struggling had ceased a couple days ago. It seemed she had finally accepted her inevitable fate, that she would serve as a puppet for Tsarakino for as long as they required her, and would be executed once she no longer had any purpose. "You look like crap," he muttered. "Where's all that fiery spirit from before?"

"Just let me die," Atsuko responded, without even moving her head. She was beaten, and she knew it. Now she merely awaited the end.

"Bah, you're no fun anymore," Fjerin chided. "You used to have so much–" He was cut off by the sight of Atsuko's head whipping upwards, and a green energy emanating from her eyes for a moment. This made him smile. Finally, Tsarakino was back. "Welcome back, old friend," he greeted his partner. "Any news from the front lines?"

Tsarakino curled one side of Atsuko's lip up into his trademark smirk. "Everything is going according to plan, Fjerin. Unit K has returned from whatever business kept her before, and has already made contact with the enemy. She's not ready to receive the Jigan just yet, but I think the plan is going well."

Fjerin grinned. This was wonderful news. The Spirit Detective would be crumbling into dust before they knew it. "And Phase Two? How is that progressing?"

Tsarakino laughed. "Phase Two is going marvelously. The vessel has willingly offered itself, and it is only a matter of time before it will be prepared for Phase Four. I think, in a couple more days, it will probably be begging me to take it. Speaking of which, it's almost time to go. My audience awaits." Tsarakino's smirk turned to a grin. They were going to win, he knew that powerfully. The end was on its way.

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Night fell over Japan, and the stars bloomed in the sky. The lights went out in the Yukimura residence, and Keiko's parents had since gone to bed. Keiko's bedroom was dark, the only light being the moonlight streaming in through the window. As she lay in her bed, she found herself tossing in the dark, worry creeping over her. She wondered where Yusuke was, whether he was asleep in his own bed or if he was out

Rolling over in her bed, she looked down at Kuwabara. He was resting on his back on a sleeping bag they'd put on the floor of the bedroom. He insisted that he didn't need much, his chivalry preventing him from letting Keiko put herself out. His eyes were still wide open, and he looked like he was thinking. "Kuwabara?" she asked tentatively, "are you still up?"

"Yeah, I'm awake," he smiled. "Something on your mind?"

Keiko sighed. She had the chance to say it, but she didn't know how to say it. She didn't want to give the wrong impression, but she wanted Kuwabara to hear it. She knew he probably didn't hear this a lot. "Listen...we really do appreciate you. Yusuke and I...I don't know how far we would've gotten if we didn't have you in our lives. I just wanted to say thank you for everything you've done."

Kuwabara smiled, turning his head up to look at Keiko. "I really haven't done much of anything," he admitted. "Except for pounding a few demons."

Keiko shook her head. "You've done so much more. You delivered that message to me when Yusuke died. And you've been there for him so much." She didn't know much about Yusuke's previous cases, but she did know that he and Kuwabara had gotten a lot closer since Yusuke had become Spirit Detective. And she had seen one case, if it counted as a case: the Dark Tournament.

Kuwabara smiled, feeling a bit better at this. "Yeah, Urameshi and I've been a team about as long as he's known Genkai." He looked up at Keiko and grinned. "But I'm still the baddest." She knew that was just his ego, and to an extent, so did he.

Keiko giggled. She smiled, this conversation was really helping to put her mind at ease. "Do you think you guys will get him? The guy that...invaded me..." A worried tone crossed her lips when she spoke, but Kuwabara nodded his head.

"I'm sure of it. Urameshi and I have faced worse odds before, trust me. We'll get him and we'll pound him EXTRA hard for you!" Kuwabara grinned.

Keiko was feeling a lot better now. "Thank you. I know you boys can do it. If anyone can pull it off, it's you guys." She didn't know what to say. She'd seen some amazing things at the Dark Tournament. Every round was another exciting clash of powers that she had no idea even existed. "I was very impressed by your fight in the Tournament," she smiled. She was very impressed by every fight, although Hiei and Kurama's matches had both terrified her. She was speaking, at the moment, of Kuwabara's fight with the older Toguro brother.

The older Toguro had the power to shift his body around. He was almost like rubber, capable of shifting everything around himself, stretching and forming into strange shapes. He could change his shape at will, and even move simple parts of him. As he, himself, had boasted, he could only be killed by a direct blow to the brain or heart, which he could move quickly to any part of the body he desired, and even alter the shape of. This made him nearly invulnerable.

Kuwabara had defeated him by widening his Spirit Sword into an area form. He called it, at the time, his Spirit Flyswatter, and he had mashed Toguro into the ring with it. Keiko smiled, recalling that. "That thing you did with the ring was very cool," she admitted. "I thought for sure that he was going to win, because it looked like he couldn't really be beaten. I was very impressed."

Kuwabara's mood lightened. It wasn't often he heard positive comments about his own skills, except when they came from Yukina. Ahh, Yukina, the icy beauty of Makai...so gorgeous, so...amazing...he was smitten, and he knew it. She was truly a–wait, what was he thinking about, again? Well, crap. "Thanks," he smiled. "You should probably get some sleep. Hard to say what's going to happen tomorrow."

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They were all gone. Even her brother had left. Shizuru was alone, where they couldn't interfere. She walked to the kitchen, dressed in a pair of gray sweat pants and a buttoned up pajama top. Casual sleeping attire, but she wasn't ready to sleep just yet. Stopping in the kitchen, she opened the fridge, rustling for food. That's when she heard his voice again, whispering in her mind. "Shizuru...my love..." She whirled around, casting her eyes across the lit kitchen, but she couldn't see anything.

"Where are you?" she asked quietly. He had returned, just as he had promised. He had come to her earlier today, but had left abruptly. But now he was back, now they could be together again. "I can't see you." Suddenly, a green energy emerged from her eyes, and she felt something entering her body. A warmth spread over her, just as it had earlier today, and she knew he was back. "Sakyo?"

"I'm here," the voice whispered in her mind. It sounded so much like him, and it knew so much about her. She believed it, believed that he had returned to her. "Right here with you." An image began to appear in her vision, something that wasn't really there. She could see his image, see him standing there before her. His matted black hair, with the single strand that came down in the front. The long scar that ran across his eye. The black business suit he wore day after day. She saw him and she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he had returned. But there was something that nagged at her, something she couldn't explain. Something was wrong.

"You...you came back...just like you promised..." Shizuru's voice stammered. She wasn't usually like this, and she chided herself for the kind of nervous concern she was expressing. "You promised, when he was gone, you'd be back..."

The voice whispered in her mind once more. "I couldn't be around with him here. He would find me, and he wouldn't understand. We were not on the best of terms at the Tournament." That was an understatement. Sakyo was the owner of Team Toguro, which had essentially threatened Team Urameshi into entering the Tournament. "He wouldn't understand what we share, you and I." The image of Sakyo smiled softly towards her, but once again, something didn't seem right.

"Is it really you?" she asked. Suspicion was nagging at her mind, but she told herself it was nothing. She was afraid that he would be a lie, and that made her think too strongly that he was. But good things did happen in this world, she knew that. It was possible for him to come back to her, wasn't it?

"Of course it's me, Shizuru," the vision responded. "Who else could it be?" She didn't have an answer for that, and it made her feel better. It really was him, she knew it. "I'm going to try something. Don't fight it. Trust me, I won't hurt you." Shizuru didn't know what was going on, but she closed her eyes, trusting him. She felt her arm move, felt its fingers slip slowly up her stomach, moving beyond her control. The fingers tipped slowly upwards, and began to undo the buttons of her pajama top. She gasped for a moment, uncertain, but she heard his voice whisper within her mind. "Don't fight it, sweetheart. You and me, we're going to have a lot of fun together." And before she knew what was happening, she could feel one side of her lip begin to curl up into a smirk.


	16. Chapter 15: Visions of Nightmares

**Chapter Fifteen: Visions of Nightmares**

The whistling of the wind rustled in the trees, casting an eerie sound across the darkened forest. The grass rustled in the wind, and the leaves bristled with each other, carrying their howl to nearby ears. The moon was high in the sky, illuminating the ground through the gaps in the leaves, but the trees only allowed enough light for the forest ground to be dimmed. And yet he walked through the darkness with power, with courage. He had come to know this forest well in the time he'd known the demon that chose to live here.

Yusuke walked deeper into the woods, his eyes scanning for Hiei. The demon was difficult to track, even more difficult to find. He kept his senses sharp and was cautious with every step, knowing that the demon was somewhere around, he needed only to find him. Suddenly, he thought he saw movement to his right, but it was too fast to see for sure. He whipped to the right, but there was only darkness there. At the last second, he heard something directly behind him.

Yusuke spun and raised his right arm just in time, just as Hiei's right fist connected to his forearm. Yusuke retaliated with a shot of his left, going for Hiei's face, but the demon darted to the left and jammed his right elbow against Yusuke's back, causing the Spirit Detective to stumble forward. Yusuke jammed his right foot back suddenly, catching Hiei off guard and striking directly to his chest, giving the human enough time to turn and slam his right fist against the side of Hiei's head.

Hiei took the blow directly, and his body was forced back by the impact, but he was far from beat. He lifted his right arm to block a second blow by Yusuke's left, then brought his own left up to catch Yusuke's right wrist on the third. Using Yusuke's momentum, he pulled the Spirit Detective forward and let go of the wrist, just in time to drive his elbow into Yusuke's stomach. What looked like one hit had actually been five, but his speed blurred the attack so much that it was difficult to make out.

Yusuke was forced back by the impact of the five blows, but managed to twist his right arm up once more to block Hiei's fist, driven by a lunge. Fist met arm once more, and the impact sent a shockwave rippling across the grass. Both fighters stood there, for a moment, their eyes steeled on one another, before Hiei leapt back from the failed attack. "You're getting faster," he noted.

"Yeah," Yusuke chuckled. "So are you."

"Why is Megumi here?" Hiei demanded, just before he went for another assault. His right fist meat Yusuke's, causing a second shockwave, just before his left slammed into Yusuke's stomach. However, just as Hiei's blow struck, Yusuke's own fist delivered its own to his face. Yusuke's shot had more power behind it, and Hiei stumbled back, moments before Yusuke slammed his fists two, three, four times into Hiei's chest. Hiei, reeling from the hits, managed to catch Yusuke's fist. However, in his own counterattack, Yusuke's free hand caught Hiei's free fist. The two fighters were caught in a momentary stalemate.

"I don't know," Yusuke responded. "You probably know more than I do, she didn't tell me anything except that she's replacing Botan." With those words, he twisted, pulling Hiei off his feet and using their stalemate to drive him directly into the tree on his right. This broke the stalemate and stunned Hiei just long enough for Yusuke to drive two more hits into his stomach.

Hiei brought both his arms up and used them to force Yusuke's out of the way, an instant before he jammed both fists straight into Yusuke's chest. This knocked the Spirit Detective back a bit, and gave Hiei some breathing room. He leapt straight up, taking a quick leap to get a position on one of the thicker tree branches. "She's your assistant, Detective. You should talk to Koenma. Get Botan back." He wanted Botan to be brought back. He didn't care why, he didn't care how. All he cared about was getting Megumi gone and getting Botan back.

Yusuke raised an eyebrow by Hiei's insistence. "What do you care? I thought you hated Botan." Hiei was taken by surprise, and the image flashed through his mind again. He saw her, once more, in that horrible palace, with her warm embrace wrapped around him and her tears falling from her face. And he heard her words again, heard her say those words that had affected him more than he was willing to admit. He hesitated, his thoughts moving to Botan, and it gave Yusuke the advantage he needed. Yusuke's fist drove straight up, propelled by his leap, and cracked against Hiei's right temple, bringing the both of them tumbling to the ground. "You're slipping," he joked, as he started to climb to his feet.

Hiei pulled himself off the ground, up into a sitting position. One knee came up to his chest, and he hung his arm over it. He had hesitated, a foolish mistake. He berated himself for this, in a real fight it would have cost him everything. "I need to be alone," he growled, and Yusuke took the hint.

"Alright," the Spirit Detective sighed. "Good fight, Hiei." With that, he started away, walking back for home. Their match had been short yet interesting. Why had Hiei hesitated like that, he wondered. It wasn't like Hiei to slip up like that. What had happened to him to affect him this strongly?

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"Botan?" It had been three days since Botan even left her room to eat, and Ayame had become worried. Koenma had even tried to personally coerce her to leave the room and eat, but from what Ayame had heard, that hadn't gone too well. Botan simply laid in bed, never moving, never eating, just laying there motionless. It had reached the point that Ayame had brought her a bowl of soup, hoping the smell would coerce her to, at the very least, eat something. But the girl wasn't even registering Ayame's attempts to wake her.

Ayame rest her hand on Botan's shoulder and gave her a nudge. "Botan, please get up. We're all worried about you...you need to eat something, please." Ayame was scared now, even moreso that Botan wasn't responding. "Botan, please...please get up." She stood there, silent, watching Botan for movement, some sign that she was still there...and as the seconds ticked by and she became more afraid, she began looking for some sign that she was still alive.

"Botan!" Ayame nudged her again, becoming more and more afraid. "Botan, please!" Tears started to streak down her face, and she nudged harder, as the terror began to grip her heart. What if Botan had just wasted away here? What if she'd–

Botan rolled over, murmuring, and Ayame felt the fear lifted. She chided herself mentally for overreacting, but after seeing how depressed Botan was of late, she wouldn't put it past her. Botan's eyes started to open, but when she saw Ayame, she closed them again. "I'm not hungry," she muttered. For the first night since it had happened, she had gotten a sleep that was free of the nightmares of Tsarakino that plagued her night after night. She had actually had a good dream for once, one of those Hiei dreams she had come to miss.

Ayame attempted a smile, trying to be strong for Botan. She cared about her friend and wanted to help her. "You need to eat, Botan. You're wasting away." Botan had lost far too much weight these past days, and Ayame could see it just in her face. Her body was starving, she needed to eat something or she'd turn into a skeleton. "I brought you some soup." She gestured to the bowl she had laid on Botan's bedstand.

Botan rubbed her eyes, trying to wipe the sleep from them. Her stomach rumbled for the umpteenth time, and she tried to ignore it. She didn't have the appetite for food right now, but she couldn't deny that she was starving. "Where is he?" she asked quietly. He was all that was on her mind now, the only positive thing that could drive away her terrors of Tsarakino. He was the only thing she cared about, the only thing she wanted right now. "I'll eat when he's here."

"Botan," Ayame pouted. She didn't know what she could say. Koenma's word was still in effect, he couldn't come here. But she didn't want to tell Botan that, or she was afraid Botan would never eat, and would simply waste away.

Botan sighed, eying her soup. She knew Hiei wasn't coming, knew she was alone in this place, but she wanted him to be here. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she was frightened. She kept thinking he would come back for her, that he was going to grab her, and then she would be his and he would ravage her mind as he had the last time. The thought terrified her beyond words. She didn't know what to do.

Ayame lifted the soup bowl from the bedside table and sat slowly down on the bed next to Botan. Botan could see the concern in her eyes, and part of her felt guilty for frightening her friend like this. She sighed, knowing she had to do this. "Okay," Botan sighed. "Okay. Give me the soup." Ayame held it out and Botan took it tentatively into her withered hands, spooning the first couple bites into her mouth.

A brief smile crossed Ayame's lips. The problem was still there, still standing powerful, but she didn't know how to resolve it. But at least Botan wouldn't starve to death. "Thank you, Botan," she smiled and renewed her resolve to speak to Koenma about his ruling.

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"Keiko?" She heard the voice calling to her across the grassy field. The sun shone brilliantly in the sky, and there were rabbits and deer walking in the tall grass. Keiko was dressed in a beautiful white gown that went down over her feet. She'd been waiting here what felt like forever, waiting for him to show up, but finally, he had arrived.

She watched him run across the field, dressed in black. Yusuke had finally showed up, in his black tuxedo, and a smile ran across her face. She couldn't believe this was finally happening; she had been hoping for this day for so long. She was so excited, she couldn't even see the black storm clouds growing over the sky.

Yusuke ran across the field, lifting Keiko up into his arms and spinning her once, before pulling her tightly to him. His lips pressed against hers, lovingly embracing her in a soft, tender kiss, and she felt as though her whole world had just exploded into paradise. This was so beautiful...nothing could ruin this one, perfect day.

Rain began to fall slowly, dripping down over them. Yusuke grabbed Keiko's arm wordlessly, pulling her under a tree, where they'd be safe from the rain. Keiko ran with him, the grin never leaving her face. The water may be soaking her dress, but she was with him, and that made her happy nonetheless.

At least, until she heard the noise. It sounded like something bad, like a horrible hissing sound coming from the tree. "What was that?" she asked, her tone shifting straight to worried. "Yusuke, maybe we should–" and then she screamed. The tree was gone, replaced by a massive snake, with pitch black scales rippling down its body.

The creature gazed down at them, and Yusuke didn't move. Keiko pulled at his arm, trying to run, trying to get him to run, but he simply stood there, watching it. "It's so beautiful," he spoke words that she didn't understand. The snake turned its glowing, yellow eyes down to them and let out a roar, one so powerful that it shook the very air around them and cracked the ground beneath them.

And still, Yusuke didn't move. Keiko pulled on his arm one last time, before the snake came down, opening its maw wide. Keiko screamed, but to no avail, as the demon snake engulfed Yusuke with its mouth, snapping him up in one powerful bite, then gulping him down its throat. Keiko, horrified and terrified by what she had just witnessed, turned to try and run, but to no avail. It snapped her up with its second bite, and she felt herself being pulled down the creature's gullet.

Everything went black, and there was darkness everywhere. And then she felt a strange energy around her, a strange oneness starting to grow with her, some kind of presence growing inside her, fusing with her own. The demon snake melted around her, and soon there was only Keiko, laying softly on the ground. Her dress was gone, consumed by the demon, but so was the demon. Naked, embarrassed, she started to climb to her feet, but was stopped by the sight of Yusuke. He stood in front of her, dressed in his green version of his school uniform, with his gun finger aimed straight at her, and his left hand bracing his wrist. A strange blue energy was glowing in his fingertip.

"Foul demon," Yusuke snarled, and Keiko felt fear welling up inside her again. She opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Yusuke's words. "SPIRIT GUN!" A powerful blast of blue energy was propelled from Yusuke's fingertip, and before Keiko knew what had happened, she was consumed by it, torn apart by the savage energy, feeling the pressure and the power hit her everywhere, consuming and destroying her body. She knew before she even hit the ground that she was dead.

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Keiko thrashed in her bed, ravaged by some horrible nightmare. Kuwabara pressed his hand to her shoulder, nudging her carefully and trying to wake her. "Keiko, wake up!" He grabbed both her shoulders with his hands, trying to hold her still. "Come on, it's just a nightmare, wake up. It can't hurt you, it–" and then he saw it. More felt than saw, something here, something entwined around her, holding her in its powerful embrace.

This was something that he had never felt before. His first thought was Tsarakino, but no, this felt entirely different. This was something worse, something that struck to the very center of his being. It felt evil, pure and untainted, the most evil energy he had ever felt in his life. The feeling invaded his senses, assaulted his sixth sense, feeling, smelling, tasting like pure, concentrated evil.

And then he saw it, fading into view. A black, gaseous creature enveloping her. A snake wrapped around her body, invisible to the eye, invisible to senses, and invisible to the touch. It was as though it didn't actually exist within this dimension, but he could feel it strongly enough that a visible version began to manifest before him. Whatever it was, he needed to think fast, he needed to get Keiko away from this thing.

He shook her one last time, hard enough to jar her back awake. Her eyes opened, confused, with tears running down them from the horrible nightmare. "Come on, we have to get you out of here," he whispered. "Something's here and it wants you." Before she even had time to react, Kuwabara had picked her up in his arms and pushed the door to her room open. He eased his way down the hall silently, to avoid waking her parents, and made it out the front door before he took off sprinting. He could feel that thing behind him, chasing them, chasing Keiko, but he was determined to get away from it.

Keiko sobbed in Kuwabara's arms, trying to come to her senses. She knew it had to be some horrible nightmare, knew it wasn't real, but it had felt so real. She had felt Yusuke's Spirit Gun kill her, and it made her afraid.

Kuwabara hurdled a bike rack and ran down the street, but he could feel the evil presence gaining on him. Buildings passed on either side, but still he ran, refusing to let that thing take Keiko back. He was going to protect her, any way he could. He had promised Yusuke that nothing would happen to her and that was a promise he would keep, no matter what the cost.

Turning into a side alley, Kuwabara raced down to the other end. But no matter how many winding turns he made, the evil presence continued to gain on him, kept coming faster and faster. It wanted Keiko, and it wanted her bad. Finally, he ran straight into a park, racing across the wooden bridge before coming to a stop. This devilish presence was too close, he knew he couldn't outrun it. But he would die before he'd give it Keiko. He would do anything to keep her safe. He had promised as much to Yusuke, and his word as a man demanded it. Laying her down by one of the trees, he made the only choice left to him: he turned to face what could be his oncoming demise.

Turning to face the oncoming evil, he held his hands out in front of him, wrapping them around an imagined hilt. "Spirit Sword!" he called out, and a burst of orange energy rose from his hands, illuminating the park around him. The energy rose up about three feet, glowing intensely and lashing about, untamed. This was his soul's energy, the manifestation of his spirit energy. This technique had guided him through many battles, and he only hoped it would guide him through this one. "Alright, snake demon, it's time to show you what happens when you mess with Kuwabara!"

Keiko curled up beside the tree, terrified. She didn't know what was going on, and had only just managed to pull herself fully back into the waking world. She saw Kuwabara standing powerfully in front of her, protecting her, and she was frightened. The demon world had invaded her home life now, and it scared her.

Kuwabara felt the presence growing closed, felt it slow down as it approached. "Come on, snake. Lemme see what you got!" The snake stopped just before Kuwabara, opening its maw wide and hissing loudly at him. It was small, only four inches in diameter, but it was at least seven feet long. It levitated in midair, its glowing, yellow eyes glinting at Kuwabara. Seeing it hesitate, Kuwabara made the first move, thrusting his Spirit Sword straight into it. The creature, however, dissipated before his blow ever connected, the gas fading into the air and vanishing. With it went its evil presence, and Kuwabara was now alone in the park with Keiko.

Keiko was terrified. She hadn't seen the snake, she didn't know what was going on. "What happened?" her voice shook as she asked, her fear clearly evident. "Did...did that guy come back?"

"I don't know," Kuwabara admitted. "I honestly don't know."


	17. Chapter 16: The Morning After

**Chapter Sixteen: The Morning After**

Kuwabara sat awake for the rest of the night, keeping his eyes on Keiko as she slept. He had watched over her with the attention of a hawk, making certain that the mysterious invisible snake never returned. His eyes were weary and exhausted, but he refused to let fatigue dissuade him from keeping his word as a man.

Finally sunlight began to stream in through the window, and Kuwabara felt more secure with the return of day. He needed to talk to someone as soon as he could, though. Kurama was the most likely candidate to understand what had just happened and be cooperative enough to speak with, but he knew he'd first need to talk to Yusuke, who would want to know every detail of what had happened last night.

Kuwabara paced silently in Keiko's room, trying to think. Whatever that thing had been, it wasn't Tsarakino. He knew that much. And it had definitely been evil, that was a feeling he could not shake. It had been trying to harm Keiko, but the question was why? That was what he tried to piece over in his head. The first meeting with Tsarakino, Kurama's meeting with Tsarakino, the invasions on Keiko, whatever the heck had happened to Botan...it was as though the enemy was targeting THEM specifically, as though they were the central focus of this attack. But why them?

Kuwabara sighed, his right hand reaching up to rub his forehead. If he were a smarter man, he could figure this out. He knew that much. The pieces were there but they just weren't coming together. Maybe he needed more pieces? Maybe he just needed to get a hammer and make them fit.

Gazing out the window, he wondered how long this would go on. Usually, when they had a case, Urameshi and he just went and beat the crap out of a bunch of demons, and the case was closed. But this was completely different. These were not tactics he was accustomed to, all this waiting and searching and trying to figure out the enemy before the enemy's plan, whatever the heck it was, carried through.

He stopped at the window to watch the sun rise, and he sighed. These guys, the Tomorrow, had them on the defensive. Kuwabara was uncomfortable with that, he knew that he, for one, needed some work on defense. He sighed, wondering what new horrors today would bring. Things seemed to just be getting worse and worse, and he had a bad feeling that this trend would continue quite a ways before things picked back up. Last night had been bad. Today...who knows? And he couldn't help but wonder what lay in store...Tomorrow.

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The rising sun cast its light through the window, invading the apartment within. The blankets within the room were cast all across the bed, only partially concealing the woman sleeping beneath them. Her light brown hair splayed all across the pillow, and her fingers still gripped the bed sheets from the previous night.

Her dreams had been peaceful, probably the best sleep she had gotten since that damned Tournament ended. And there was no doubt left in her mind after that night. She knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he really had come back to her, and this knowledge left her feeling powerful, feeling stronger...she felt like the old Shizuru again.

As the light fell over her, it began to lull her back to the waking world. They morning light crept through her mind, crept over her body, and slowly, reluctantly, she opened her eyes. The night's dreams were shattered, and she now had to face the next morning.

The first sound from her lips was an exhausted yawn, which continued as she lifted her arms up into the air, stretching her limbs out. Parts of her were sore from the past night's activities, while other parts tingled from the slightest movement. She could still feel the last night warming through her mind, and it even managed to put a smile on that cold, harsh face of hers.

Last night, she'd been afraid that it was just a dream, that she would awaken and they wouldn't be together, he wouldn't be inside of her, loving her, whispering to her, making her feel so good...but this morning, she could feel it. She could still feel the lingering embrace of his presence, and it made her feel whole again.

With only the slightest reluctance, she slipped herself slowly out of bed. She let the covers fall back onto the sheets, and stepped towards the bathroom. She needed a nice, hot shower to wake her. That, she knew, would feel good, and make her sore parts ache a bit less. A nice, hot shower would do the trick.

Her bare feet padded against the floor, making only the smallest of sounds as she slipped into the bathroom. She hadn't worried about dressing herself this morning, she wasn't afraid of running into her brother. Sakyo's ghost, as she figured it must have been, wouldn't have come back last night if he were here; she knew that, for whatever reason, he'd gone someplace else last night. And she was more than just a little grateful for that.

Shizuru slipped herself into the bathroom and closed the door behind her, locking it out of habit. She didn't hesitate before stepping through the glass door of the shower and closing it behind her. Her delicate fingers twisted the metal knobs, and soon there came that hiss of hot, running water pouring down from the showerhead. Shizuru pulled her head back, letting it wash over her, letting it ease the tension from her aching body. Last night had truly been a miracle, but she wasn't sure she'd survive another night quite that intense.

She spent several minutes in the shower, just basking in the warm heat and letting the steam rise, before she finally twisted the knobs back off. She stepped softly out from the shower, grasping the towel off the rack and wrapping it tightly around her body, using it to dry herself off. Realizing she didn't really need it for anything more, she hung it back on the rack before she unclicked the lock and opened the door.

Shizuru stepped out into the hall, minus the towel, and turned down towards her room. Her eyes flew open in surprise the moment she saw him standing in the hallway, and her face flushed red with embarrassment. Because there, standing just inside the door, with a similar blush on his face, was her brother's friend, Kurama.

Shizuru pulled herself quickly back into the bathroom before any more of her body was revealed, then slammed the door behind her. She gasped for a moment, trying to calm herself down. She had just exposed herself right in front of one of her little brother's friends, and now she was pissed. She heard a knock on the door, followed by the words, "Excuse me...um...I'm terribly sorry about–"

She didn't even let him finish. In her anger, she cut him off. "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE!" she screeched at him through the door.

"I was looking for Kuwabara," the soft voice replied. "Is he here?"

One of Shizuru's little peeves with that little group of her brother's acted up, and as she was already irritated, she couldn't restrain herself from snarling at him, "You know, I'm a Kuwabara too." Her voice carried a snide tone of anger, but she didn't care. He had just gotten a free peek at her naked form, she was pissed beyond words at this point.

"I'm sorry," Kurama responded. "Is your brother in?"

Why couldn't this jackass argue with her? Did he have some kind of mental deficiency that kept him from getting mean and angry? "No, he's not," she snapped. "Now, I would appreciate it if you would LEAVE." Her temper had flared majorly, and it wasn't helping that this guy couldn't carry an argument.

"Okay, thank you for your time," Kurama responded. "And, again, I'm terribly sorry about that little incident." She heard his footsteps in the hall, then heard the door shut. Frustrated and irritated that he was too damned nice to really take her anger out on, Shizuru ran her hand up to her forehead and rubbed it softly. She needed to hit something. That would take the stress off. She couldn't believe she'd actually done that. But, she supposed, if one of her brother's idiot friends had to be there, Kurama wasn't the worst of the lot. She sighed once more, picking herself up off the floor. She really needed a smoke.

---------------------------------------------------------

Morning had come and Yusuke was out the door as soon as he was showered and dressed. He took off before even grabbing anything to eat, in a frantic rush to go check on Keiko. Wearing his green version of the school uniform, he raced down the street, dodging a man in a business suit then hurdling a golden retriever in his rush to find her.

The previous night's match raced through his mind, but he found it difficult to focus on. Something had been up with Hiei, but he didn't really care about that. All he cared about was making sure Tsarakino hadn't gotten to Keiko again. He knew Kuwabara was there to take care of her, but he honestly wasn't sure what Kuwabara could have actually done if Tsarakino had really come. After all, how do you fight something you can neither see nor touch?

Yusuke hurdled a bike rack on his way towards Keiko's house, having no way of knowing that was the same bike rack that Kuwabara had leapt over the night before in his effort to get Keiko away from the black snake. Once the ramen restaurant where Keiko lived was in sight, however, Yusuke ducked into the nearby alley. Keiko's parents probably weren't too eager to see him at the moment, so he'd have to wait until Kuwabara and Keiko came out to meet him.

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The sunlight began to flicker down through the trees, casting shades across the forest floor. Hiei found himself roused from his sleep by the light shining down upon him. His eyes opened quickly, he had never been the slow waker, and his Jigan glowed lightly from behind his headband. He cast his gaze to the left, and then to the right, which was followed by a sigh. "I thought I told you to go away," he snarled.

The young, female demon, Kitrone, stood with her back against the tree Hiei was resting atop. A smile crossed her lips, and the glowing balls on her visor turned orange for a moment. "Maybe you did, but I never was too good at following orders." Her smile turned into a grin, and she stepped around the tree, looking up at Hiei. "How 'bout you? Order boy, are you?"

This snagged at one of Hiei's buttons. "I don't take orders from anyone," he growled, her voice already beginning to grate at him.

"Oh," Kitrone replied. "I'm sorry." She waved her hand unconsciously while she spoke. "I heard some of the others talking about you, saying that you'd been domesticated." Hiei narrowed his eyes at that. "Word has it, you follow any order you're given these days, even if your heart is someplace else at the time." Her words were aimed, targeted, and Hiei, somewhere inside, knew it. But still...she did have a point.

Hiei didn't respond. She was an idiot. Some stupid groupie from the Dark Tournament, something he had no time for. And she knew nothing about him, he reminded himself. She knew rumors, she knew external perceptions, but she knew nothing about him. So what did it matter what worthless words she had to spout? Her words, her very existence, was absolutely meaningless.

And yet, he found he couldn't deny that she did have a point. He sat there, in that tree, and his thoughts traced back to Botan, wherever she was. Part of him wanted to see her, but the rest of him shut that part down. He hadn't gone to see her because he had no reason to. He had no desire to. She was an annoyance, one that he was grateful to have out of his life, one that he hoped would never come back into it. His refusal to go to her had absolutely nothing to do with Koenma's orders, because he didn't care what that pathetic toddler fool said.

"Struck a nerve?" the young demoness laughed.

Hiei cast his eyes downwards to her, narrowing them slowly. "Go away," he warned her, refusing to give her another word, or even so much as another thought. She was nothing.

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The morning sun crossed over Keiko's bed, slowly bringing her back to the waking world. Her dreams had been blocky and disturbed, and she found, as she opened her eyes, that she couldn't remember a thing that had happened. Something felt off to her, something she couldn't quite place. She opened her mouth wide, yawning for a couple seconds, while stretching out her limbs. But something felt off, something that she didn't understand.

"Hey, good morning," Kuwabara smiled at her from the window. There were bags under his eyes, and she could tell he hadn't slept a wink last night. She smiled a little, but also felt bad for him. He'd stayed up to watch over her, stayed up to keep her safe, but she didn't want to put him out like this.

But maybe he could answer the question that was pressing on her mind. "Did something happen last night?" she asked him carefully, though she wasn't certain she wanted to hear the answer. "Something doesn't feel right," she admitted, but she thought that might just be her own internal worries getting to her.

Kuwabara raised an eyebrow at her, trying to make sense of her question. "What do you mean?" he asked her carefully. "You don't remember?"

Keiko shook her head, confused. She couldn't recall a thing from last night, just that she'd had some weird, blocky dreams. "No, I don't." She wondered what was going on, because Kuwabara's reaction had confirmed her suspicion. Something had happened last night, something she didn't remember.

Kuwabara was silent for a moment, unsure what to tell her. "What was the last thing you remember?" he asked her, and the question made her even more suspicious. Was something going on? Was he keeping something from her?

"Last I remember...we were talking about the Tournament. I complimented you on that fight with that Toguro guy." Her words were careful, uncertain. Because now she was definitely wondering just what had happened.

Kuwabara was silent for a moment, and this only served to unnerve Keiko further. What wasn't he telling her? "It's...it's nothing," he assured her, though she couldn't help but feel as though he was lying to her. "You had a pretty bad nightmare, and I woke you up from it. It was nothing big," he smiled to her. A nightmare...she wondered why she couldn't recall it. Usually, the really nasty nightmares stayed with her when they were gone. She didn't remember anything about a nightmare last night.

"Oh," Keiko responded, trying not to sound too suspicious. Kuwabara was hiding something, she knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt, but she didn't know how to press the issue. If he didn't want to tell her something, he wouldn't. Maybe it was for her own good, she sighed. Maybe whatever had happened last night was something she didn't want to know. In any case, just sitting here moping about it wasn't going to do either of them good. "Thank you," she sighed, before looking towards the door. "I think I'm going to go take a shower. You should get some sleep. You look exhausted."

As soon as Keiko was out the door, Kuwabara sighed. She seriously couldn't remember last night? She'd been terrified, he was afraid she was going to start screaming bloody murder in the middle of the park. How could she not remember that? He sighed, adding this to the list of things he needed to speak to Kurama about. Kurama was smart, he could make sense of it. But for now...he supposed it was better that Keiko not remember. At least, this way, she wouldn't have to hurt for it.


	18. Chapter 17: Brewing Nightmares

**Chapter Seventeen: Brewing Nightmares**

When Keiko and Kuwabara finally came out of the Yukimura family restaurant, Yusuke was eager to check up on her. He'd spent the whole morning worrying about her, and what he saw as they came out didn't appease him too well. It wasn't the easiest thing to notice, but from his vantage in the alley, he could see a bothered look on Kuwabara's face. Something had happened last night, he could tell that much.

Keiko was dressed in her blue school uniform. She was on her way to school, with Kuwabara following after to make sure nothing got to her, just as he'd promised. Yusuke wanted to check on her now, but something made him hesitate. Something felt wrong, but he couldn't quite place it. Yusuke sighed; everything had felt wrong since they'd met Tsarakino.

Yusuke shook off the off feeling. Keiko was fine; Kuwabara would be able to feel it if she wasn't. But still, something was definitely wrong. He'd seen Kuwabara bothered enough times to know that look on his face, there was something definitely up. But he wouldn't know just standing back here in the shadows, now would he? Bracing himself for the bad news, he stepped out of the alley, waving his hand in greeting.

"Hey!" he called to the other two, walking quickly towards them. Keiko turned up a smile when she saw him, and he noticed Kuwabara letting out a sigh of relief. That confirmed it, something had definitely happened.

"Yusuke!" Keiko ran for Yusuke, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him when she saw him. Her concerns faded for the moment, just happy to see him again this early in the morning. She was already plotting devious plans to get him into class when they got to school.

Yusuke wrapped his arms around Keiko, hugging her for a moment, before looking down into her eyes. "Missed you," he smiled, while one hand slowly stroked her side. "How did last night go? Did anything happen?" He looked from Keiko up to Kuwabara for a moment, before turning his attention back down to her.

Kuwabara shook his head, answering the question. "Not really, no. Keiko just had a bad dream, but it's okay." He didn't want to discuss last night in front of her, not here, not now. He needed to speak to Yusuke alone, but that would have to wait until after Keiko was in class. He knew Keiko would probably do everything she could to get Yusuke to go to class, but history stated that Yusuke would be spending the afternoon away from school regardless.

Keiko nodded her head, though suspicion remained adamant within her. What was it that Kuwabara wasn't willing to talk about with her around? Well, Yusuke would tell her eventually, she knew that much. She'd pester Yusuke about it later, she knew she could get him to talk. "Yeah, just a nightmare. Nothing important." She pulled herself back out of the embrace for a moment, then placed her hand neatly in his. "Now, are we going to go to school or not?" She flashed Yusuke that smile that always helped put one up on his face.

Yusuke laughed a moment and didn't move. Keiko flashed him her "Well?" expression, and he responded quickly, "I'm thinking."

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Kurama walked softly down the steps from the Kuwabara residence, that prominent blush still present on his face. He had come looking for Kuwabara, but had found a sight that still lingered in his mind. He had closed his eyes and turned his head away the moment he saw Shizuru's form, for the sake of her privacy, but the image that he'd gotten still lingered in his mind.

This had been the first time he'd seen a human female that...thoroughly...since he had become human. And despite his best efforts to remove the image from his mind, it lingered, taunting him, teasing him, trying to get him to respond to it. It was the human mind, he decided, that was making this so difficult to process.

Shizuru was not a nice person. That was something he had realized almost the moment he met her. She was downright mean most of the time, and had a predisposition towards violence. She smoked, she sneered, she took snide potshots at him, at Kuwabara, at all of them. Most verbal contact with her was something to avoid, which was easy enough, because she tended to avoid them as much as she could.

She definitely had a pretty nasty temperament, and even when she wasn't being mean, she was generally cold and heartless. But she was human, just as the rest of them were, with the exception of Hiei and Botan. She could probably crush stones in the palm of her hand, and her snarl could terrify even a demon, but he had to admit, she was fairly attractive when her mouth wasn't filled with a cigarette. That moment had made him start to realize this: she could be beautiful if she wanted to be. His mind ran back once more, back to that scene, and he closed his eyes tight and shook his head, trying to–

SLAM

And then he was on the ground. His face and much of his front ached with pain, and his hair, long though it may be, had not made the greatest mattress to catch him. His right hand came up and rubbed his face, trying to ease the ache, and he opened his eyes back up to catch the source of the sudden pain. To his deepest embarrassment, he had walked right into a tree.

His embarrassment would only worsen when he heard the clapping sound from up in the branches, the sound of someone mockingly applauding his show of inattentive walking. Kurama turned his eyes up, and just as he expected, there was Hiei, sitting on one of the branches of the very tree he had slammed into.

An expression of amusement was emblazoned upon Hiei's face, and the demon could not resist getting the shot in. "The great Kurama taken down by a tree," he smirked. "You know, there is a touch of irony in that."

Kurama let out a soft groan, then chuckled a little. "Nice to see you too, Hiei."

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"With all due respect, you can't be serious." Megumi stood outraged in Koenma's office, a look of pure confusion on her face. "A civilian, my lord. That boy is a CIVILIAN. What's more, he's a common civilian thug. He shouldn't be a part of this...I shudder to call them a team." This argument had carried on for half an hour already, and Koenma was beginning to tire of it.

"Megumi," Koenma spoke directly, "I am beginning to suspect it was a mistake to give you this job." Before Megumi could speak, he continued. "Kuwabara has proven himself a loyal asset to this team, just as much as the rest of them have. They have all proven themselves more than capable of doing the jobs put to them, and they are, every one of them, dependable, uniquely talented, and above all, trustworthy."

"Even Hiei?" Megumi's voice carried a bitterness not often heard from in Koenma's ranks, and it served only to frustrate Koenma further.

However, every defense he attempted to form in response to her question voided itself in his mouth. He did not like to have his judgment questioned, but Megumi had simply put words to a point he, himself, had made several times. "Hiei..." Koenma tried to think of a way to finish that, but found himself hesitant, found himself searching for the right words, the right phrasing, the right...anything. "Hiei...is contained..." He settled for that. "We still don't know where his loyalties lie, but he has proven that he's willing to at least work with us for the time being."

"He's a beast," Megumi snarled. "He needs to be thrown into the underworld. He's a vile, malicious creature that does not deserve the kindness this establishment has shown him." She spoke softer now, realizing that she had upset Koenma, and realizing just how dangerous an act that was to do. "I...I'm sorry, my lord. I let my feelings get the best of me. I just don't understand how you can trust him...any of them, really."

Koenma sighed. "I don't trust him, Megumi," he admitted to her. "That's why I've been trying to keep him away from Botan. I do agree with you, Hiei is dangerous, but he has shown that he is willing to work with us." Koenma found his mind returning to Botan now, and oddly enough, he found himself now making the same argument Botan had made to him once before. It was strange to find himself defending Hiei, of all people. "I don't know, maybe Botan was right. Maybe there is something deeper to him. But he has helped us time and time again. He's done a lot of good for our establishment, and we do owe him that recognition."

Megumi was not happy to hear this, but Koenma's judgment was law. "And the others?" she asked. "Kazuma Kuwabara is a civilian, and he doesn't seem to have much of a brain to him. He's...he's going to get himself killed, because he's too stupid not to. Detective Urameshi is a thug, and I don't trust him not to abuse the power we're giving him. He's common street trash. And Kurama...Kurama isn't even a demon anymore. He's grown too soft. He's become docile, and I'm not convinced he even remembers how to fight anymore."

Koenma sighed. "Megumi...you need to look deeper. There is more to them, any of them, than just what they show on the outside. Yusuke has a good, strong heart. It's what brought him to us in the first place. I don't know if you know this, but when we first brought Yusuke here, it was because he had died saving the life of a small child. He had thrown himself in front of a car to shove the little boy out of its way. Yes, Megumi, he is violent and yes, he can be a bit of a 'thug', but you need to look past that.

Your problem, Megumi," Koenma continued, "is that you never learned to do that. You need to open your eyes more and look deeper than this. I know you can do it. I chose you for this job because you have the kind of strength Yusuke needs on his side, but I can't have you attacking my judgment at every turn."

Megumi sighed. She knew she was beaten, she knew Koenma was right. She knew she'd stepped out of line. Still, she couldn't see any of what he was talking about. She knew Urameshi's type, she knew all of their "types". But she was definitely bordering on insubordination at this point, so she just sighed and conceded the point. "Yes, my lord. I apologize." She would have to find a better means of making her point realized.

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The young demon girl sighed as she remained seated on the soft grass within the forest, with her back pressed up against the base of one of the many trees. This plan wasn't going anywhere, and she knew it. That damned triclops was too cold, too untrusting. She ran one of her claws up to her forehead, rubbing it softly. What had she gotten herself into? And what was she going to do now?

Phase Three depended on her, and she knew that. She was the only one that could make this work, but it just wasn't working. But her masters wouldn't accept that, she knew they wouldn't. Lord Fjerin was counting on her, and Lord Tsarakino...there was definitely something that was just friggin' creepy about Lord Tsarakino. She wouldn't put it past him to execute her for her failure.

She'd thought this would be easy. And why hadn't it been! She was hot! She knew that better than anyone else. It's why she was given this job. 4 out of 5 demons would do just about anything she wanted of them if she said it in that coy, mysterious voice of hers. But this one seemed to be resilient to her. What was he, gay!

Okay, now she was just ranting. She sighed and pressed both hands to her forehead, trying to think straight. This demon was proving more difficult to get close to than most, but she could do it, she knew she could. She had to, for her own sake. Without Phase Three...well, without Phase Three, none of it meant anything. The stolen Jigan was completely useless without Phase Three, and if the Jigan was useless, then so was she. This whole "Unit K" plan hinged on her success here, and if she failed...well, she knew she wouldn't walk away from a failure this important.

Her worries were interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming through the forest. She got up quickly, realizing she was too visible out here in the open, but it was too late. She saw a young girl, probably only 14 or 15, walking directly towards her with a business look on her face. Great, so now she'd been spotted, that just made her failure all the more drastic, didn't it? Well, this one wasn't going to get out!

She moved as fast as she could, throwing herself at the girl and shoving her up against the tree behind her with her left claw. Her right wristblade withdrew from its retracted state, extending to approximately two feet, and she raised it up to remove the problem. But before she struck, the girl's eyes glowed with green energy to identify her for about three seconds, and she snarled. "Let go of me, Kitrone. Now."

Kitrone's eyes widened when she saw the green eyes and she pulled back, while retracting her right wristblade back into its place. "Lord Tsarakino!" she exclaimed quickly, "I...I'm sorry, my lord. I thought...I thought you were..."

"I know," Tsarakino responded, not wanting to waste time with this. He went straight to business. "How is Phase Three coming along? Well, I hope?" His voice had a dangerous tone in it, and she knew better than to try and deceive him. Worst case scenario, he could enter her mind.

"Not...not so good..." she confessed, hoping not to anger Lord Tsarakino. She knew that Lord Fjerin respected her judgment and believed strongly in her, and that he cared enough for his Agents that he wouldn't do anything rash. But Lord Tsarakino...she didn't trust him. There was just something about him that seemed wrong, and she couldn't help but wonder why he even cared about any of this. And that frightened her, not knowing. "Hiei...he's a lot harder to get close to than I anticipated. I've managed to talk to him a couple times, but they were brief."

"There is still plenty of time," Tsarakino comforted her. "You have time, but don't get careless. This whole thing hinges on you." She didn't need to be reminded of that, but he reinforced it anyway. "We need to know how it works before we try to use it. You know that as much as I do. We need to understand it or we could, I don't know, accidentally make it explode and kill us all, or something. Now, you need to get that info. It's useless without it." They both knew what 'it' he was referring to. It didn't really need to be spoken between them.

Kitrone nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, my lord, I understand. I'll...I'll try harder." She swallowed hard, curiosity beginning to nag at her. This wasn't the only phase in operation at the moment, she knew that. "Um...if I'm allowed to ask...how's Phase Two going? I mean with...y'know..."

She was worried that Lord Tsarakino might be upset by her nosing, but to her relief, he wasn't. He tilted his host's head back, and his trademark smirk appeared across her lips. It was accompanied, however, with half-closed, peaceful eyes that looked almost like a state of ecstasy. "Believe me, that one has no difficulty. Phase Two is going marvelously." His grin was beginning to creep her out. She was suddenly very happy to not be a part of Phase Two.

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Yusuke had managed to give Keiko the slip in the halls of their school. He hated doing that, but there were far more important things to deal with right now than class. He met Kuwabara just outside, as he usually did when Keiko cornered him into coming into the school building, with a look of urgency on his face. He didn't even dispense with the greetings before getting straight to the point, "Alright, Kuwabara, what happened last night?"

"Not here," Kuwabara urged. "Let's get away from the school a bit. I don't want Keiko to overhear this."

The two walked a block down the street, slipping into the old, familiar vacant lot, before going to the subject at hand. Kuwabara sighed, not sure how to explain it. "Something went after Keiko last night. It just...appeared, out of nowhere. I couldn't even feel it until I realized something was wrong, it was like it just didn't exist."

Yusuke was confused. Kuwabara had the strongest sixth sense in the group. "Was it Tsarakino?" he pushed, because now he was very concerned for Keiko.

Kuwabara shook his head, though, which only made Yusuke even more confused. "It was something else, something...I don't know. It wasn't Tsarakino. It felt older than that. It felt very old, and very..." Kuwabara struggled to find a better word, to find one that didn't sound like an overreaction, but no other word would define what he felt last night. "...evil."

This took Yusuke by surprise. "Was it a demon? Could you see it? Was it physical?" he had too many questions now, he wanted to know everything about what had happened to Keiko, and he wanted to know now.

"It wasn't a demon. It was kinda like Tsarakino, a shadow thing that you can't really see. Except I saw it for a moment. It was like this black snake that was coiled around her, and she was really thrashing around. I think she was having a really bad dream. I think it was giving her a bad dream." Kuwabara paused a moment, trying to gather his words.

"What was it?" Yusuke asked. "What do you think it was? You guessed Tsarakino. What's your guess here?"

Kuwabara thought for a moment, trying to think. Thinking had never been his strong suit, though, so in the end, he had to go with his instincts. "You know those dreams where something really bad is chasing you? And you don't know what it is, you can't see it, or you can but you just can't make it out? But you know it's evil, and it's after you, and if you let it reach you, it's going to kill you, so you run, but it just seems to be faster than you, and no matter how fast you run, you can't get away from it? And then, just before it can get you, you wake up?"

Yusuke had seen a couple of those dreams before. Just about everyone had. He nodded his head.

Kuwabara swallowed hard. "I think that's what it was. The thing that chases you in the dream. That's my guess, anyway. That's what it felt like, to me. Like a very old, very deadly, and very powerful nightmare."


	19. Chapter18: Defiance of a Misplaced Heart

**Chapter Eighteen: Defiance of a Misplaced Heart**

Hiei left the forest, putting Kitrone behind him. That girl needed to get a life of her own, this was something he already was beginning to feel. He didn't know why she kept showing up, but frankly, he didn't want to know. She was an annoyance that he was more than happy to put behind him.

His thoughts returned once more to Botan's declaration of love. He had thought about this more and more these past couple days, and the more he considered it, the less sense it made. She was a Reikai spirit, that alone made it pointless. Reikai spirits and Makai demons didn't mix well, there was a rivalry there that had lasted for ages. As far back as the birth of Makai, as far as he knew. His kind did not mingle with hers.

What was Kitrone up to? She was a horrible liar. He could see right through her easily, and it wasn't difficult to guess why she hid her eyes. Obviously a spy for the enemy, another inept act from the idiot that was Tsarakino. Hiei was forced to stifle a chuckle at that. So much power bestowed upon a man that didn't have the first clue how to use it. The only thing that idiot had going for him was invulnerability, and even that was questionable. He knew this wouldn't last much longer.

But he had almost taken Botan. Hiei couldn't forget that, and something inside him burned with anger at the thought of it. He remembered her again, her tears, the way she cried and the way he held her. There had been a gentleness in his touch that had surprised even him. He had passed off her approaches and her idiotic crush, but he couldn't forget how strongly his heart had beat in that moment, as he held her crying form. And he certainly couldn't forget the rage he felt towards Tsarakino, the fury he had lashed out at the astral specter with.

And then there was the hellbitch, Megumi. He hadn't known her too long, but he already despised her. She was nothing compared to Botan, just a pathetic, by-the-book worm that needed to be removed from the team. Koenma's decision to put her with them had to have been influenced by stupidity, this was something he was certain of. Of course, many of Koenma's actions had to have been influenced by stupidity. There was no doubt in his mind of that.

She was no Botan. She would never be Botan, she would never have the kind of talent or flair that Botan had always carried with her. And she couldn't even begin to match the kind of cheerful, happy charm that Botan had used to capture his–that Botan kept up. This idiot was nothing like her, and he would be more than happy to see her gone.

He needed to speak to Kurama, there was no doubt of this. Kurama would be able to help him figure things out. Of the people he knew, Kurama was the only one he really trusted, though he wasn't sure if he could trust him with something like this. Part of him told him not to be weak, that this was the wiles of a girl trying to confuse and distort his judgment. But he didn't know what to think, and the rest of him strained to find an explanation.

He needed to speak with Kurama.

Hiei raced across the rooftops, leaping from roof to tree to roof, while his mind consistently returned every time back to her. Part of him wondered why he had listened to Koenma's decision, that none of them, especially him, could see Botan. The other part of him wondered why he even cared.

As much as he refused to admit it, something Kitrone had said had gotten to him. Her words about him being domesticated was beginning to grate at him the more he thought about it. She was wrong, dead wrong. He knew that much. But, the problem was, he hadn't quite figured out what was right. It all went back to Botan. They told him not to speak to her, but that's not why he'd refrained. He had no reason to have contact with her, right?

A sigh of frustration escaped Hiei's lips, as he leapt from the roof to the next tree. His Jigan was guiding his trek, and he knew he was close to Kurama now. He landed softly on the tree branch, and there he was, the fox demon in the guise of the red-haired boy was walking away from the Kuwabara household.

Hiei's eyes spied him carefully, waiting for the perfect time to make his approach. He wanted to make a good entrance, but that was always a challenge with Kurama. The fox was crafty and, above all, observant. He knew that he would need to remain hidden for a while, just to ensure there was no one else around, and to make certain Kurama wouldn't detect him until he wanted him to. After all, Kurama was smart. Kurama was craft and observant. Kurama was constantly aware of his surroundings, and would be difficult to–

SLAM

...Kurama had just walked into a tree. And now, stealth and subtlety fell to the wayside. Hiei had to struggle just to keep from laughing from the sight of Kurama floored by a tree. He couldn't help himself, he had to call attention to it. "The great Kurama taken down by a tree," he mocked. "You know, there is a touch of irony in that."

Kurama's prone form emitted a groan, then mumbled, "Nice to see you too, Hiei." He pushed himself up with his arms, slowly standing himself up, while he came to his senses. "Is there something I can help you with?" He was a bit more irritated than usual, but that was easily due to the pounding headache from the tree. Hiei couldn't help but wonder what could have captured Kurama's attention so thoroughly as to lead him into it.

Hiei opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He found himself questioning the wisdom of his choice here. True, Kurama was the one person he felt safe talking to, but he didn't really feel that he wanted to discuss this. Why had he even come here, he wondered? What was he looking for? What did he want Kurama to tell him? "Nothing," Hiei closed off. "Never mind."

"There's something bothering you." Kurama could read him like a book, always could. "Hiei..."

Hiei cut him off before he could go any further. "What happened to us, Kurama?" That was a question he had pondered for some time, actually. "When did we stop being demons and become...domesticated?" Kitrone's words echoed in his head, and he was beginning to feel that she'd been right. He had allowed his will to be compromised by that of humans and by that of Koenma.

Kurama blinked for a moment at the question. "I'm not sure I understand. I...um...'domesticated' myself, if that's what you mean." He'd been taken completely by surprise by this question.

Hiei's mind was beginning to run faster now. He had once challenged Koenma's rulership, stolen a powerful artifact from Koenma's vault. And now? He had found himself fighting to protect that very same vault. There was a time he had taken what he wanted, a time he would not allow his will to be subverted by the will of another. So why should he listen to Koenma's order that he could not have what he wanted?

"Wait..." Kurama had the eyes of a fox, and his ability to perceive the truth was becoming a nuisance. "Is this about Botan?"

Hiei stumbled around that question. Yes? No? Somewhat? He didn't know! Everything was becoming too confusing, and now he was starting to feel anger begin to well up inside of him. What had that girl done to him! He snarled at Kurama's question, becoming defensive. A demonic growl emitted from his throat as he spoke. "I...no. No, this has nothing to do with Botan," he spoke with confidence, but his eyes betrayed him.

Kurama took a step towards the tree, with quiet contemplation in his eyes. Hiei watched him for a moment, then realized what was happening. Kurama was sizing him up, watching for subtleties of movement and expression. He was reading him, just as he did with everyone he met, to see beneath the masks and facades.

Hiei turned away, quickly, taking off across the rooftops and leaving Kurama back there. Confusion and anger were beginning to blend together inside him, and he didn't need to have Kurama prying over his soul. But this confusion left him, once again, with the question of what he needed to do, what he wanted to do, what he should do. Defiance and apathy fought and struggled within him. He could defy Koenma's orders, and go see Botan. But did he want to see Botan?

What did she do to him? That question returned to his mind, and he found himself becoming more and more angry as it swirled within him. He abandoned the rooftops, leaving back for the forest that he had made his home, as he struggled to figure out what had happened to him. His hand lifted to his forehead, and he rubbed it softly, trying to understand, but finding only questions.

She had done this to him. She had placed him under some kind of power, some kind of manipulation to control him. She had done something to him, he just didn't know what. He didn't have an answer for this, an explanation for why she kept coming to his thoughts, kept returning to his mind. He didn't know why images of her came to him when he was alone in the woods, or why his mind repeatedly flashed back to that moment.

He could feel her sorrow, her despair, out somewhere in Reikai. He could feel the tears she shed echoing softly within his soul, reverberating within his very being. He felt her when he was alone, felt her sadness, and it howled at him like an angry demon, beckoning him to find her. It was as though, somehow, she had taken a piece of his soul with her, and now he didn't know how to handle it.

Botan...what had she done to him? For the dozenth time, he asked that question, but he knew he would not find the answers here, in this forest. He needed to see her. Only she had the answers he needed. He needed to find her, and if that meant going against the will of Koenma, that would only be an added bonus. He needed to see her, he knew that. He needed her...

----------------------------------------------

And so it was that he found himself standing in Reikai, a little over an hour later. He walked slowly, silently towards the hole that had been blown in the wall by the blood ogres during Tsarakino's assault on the place. He found himself not caring, at the moment, about the ogres, about Tsarakino, about any of it. All he wanted was to find Botan and get her to undo whatever curse she had placed upon him that made him feel like this.

As he stepped through the hole, he passed by two ogres that were busy preparing to repatch this wall. The reconstruction had been going strong this past week, though numbers and morale were still down after the civil war and after Tsarakino had Ramboed his way through two guard units to breach the vault. Hiei was uncertain where Botan would be in the palace, but it didn't matter. He would find her.

One of the ogres spotted him, but he passed by without a care. He stepped quickly down the hall, his three eyes constantly scanning every person that passed him by. Turning the corner, he made his way towards the hall of records, to see if she was massaging that brain of hers in there. All he found, however, were two ogre guards that refused to let him in, but were willing to tell him that she was not here.

Hiei passed Koenma's office without even stopping for a moment. He didn't care enough to speak to the idiot toddler, he was determined to find Botan. He passed the office by, moving swiftly down the hall, and it was then that he saw the instrument that would carry the answer of Botan's location: Megumi was stalking down the hall with a scorned, angry look on her face, and it brought a smile to Hiei's. Two birds, one stone.

"Megumi," Hiei snarled, approaching her quickly. He didn't even give her time to register him, before he shoved her back against the wall. "Where is she? Talk." No subtlety, no grace, just a direct movement for a direct answer.

Megumi scoffed at Hiei's question. "I don't know why you're here, when you should be back in the human world, but if you mean who I think you do, you and I both know Koenma's word." Her cold eyes glared at him, spurned by his sudden, direct insubordination.

"You speak as though I care," Hiei snarled, but she cut him off before he could continue.

"You are treading on thin ice," Megumi insisted. "You would do well to turn around and walk back out the way you came, or I can guarantee you will be sorry." Her voice sent daggers, but Hiei didn't even hesitate for a moment.

The demon shoved her against the wall, pressing her hard against it by the shoulders and snarling. "Where is she, Megumi? I will not ask again, and I don't care for your–"

Megumi struggled against Hiei's grip. "You will care, you worthless animal! This is direct insubordination, and it will have DIRE consequences. We own you, you simple beast. You are not in a position to make demands, you are nothing more than an animal on a chain, and we will–"

CRACK

That shut her up hard. The back of Hiei's fist had struck across her face, and she slowly turned her head back, shocked and stunned by the blow, with a look of incredulity on her face. Hiei shoved her aside now, away from the wall, causing her to hit the ground hard. But her astonishment was too much, she turned her head to look at him and couldn't look away. One hand reached up to rub the red spot where he had struck her, and she couldn't believe what had just happened. "...I..." She was speechless.

Hiei's hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword, unsheathing it only an inch, while his left gripped her forehead. "I will not ask again. Where is she?"

----------------------------------------------

Hiei left the limp, stammering form of Megumi behind, moving swiftly down the halls. Having just attacked one of Koenma's people, he knew his welcome here was officially over. He had trouble finding something inside him to care, however, as he moved swiftly down that narrow hallway towards the private bedrooms of Koenma's angels of death.

"Hey, you! Stop!" Word spread fast in this place, and there were eyes everywhere watching for security. An ogre stood between him and the passage he needed, but rather than cease, Hiei picked up the pace. The ogre couldn't even register his movement before the demon was behind him, up in the air, striking his elbow into the back of the ogre's head and rendering him unconscious.

Hiei kept his movement, going faster down the hall. Two more ogres came at him, but once more he moved too fast for them, driving his fist up into the chin of one, then kicking off his falling body to deliver a powerful kick to the side of the second's head. With both down, he made off faster, and now he was really beginning to feel alive. Something that had lain dormant within him was awakening now, and the thrill was beginning to reach out to him again, that same thrill he'd only truly felt twice before, when he had ripped off Koenma's vault and when he had fused with the Black Dragon Hellfire during the Dark Tournament.

Security was cut hard by Tsarakino's assault, and that made it only too easy to make his way to the private chambers. He didn't even hesitate a moment, finding the door that Megumi had told him was Botan's, but after he found it, that was when hesitation set in. Here he was, standing before the door of the woman that had taken him this far. And once more, he found himself questioning just what it was he was here for. What would he say when he saw her? Why did he need to see her? Could she undo whatever it was she had done to him?

Hiei drew in a deep breath, then twisted the knob and pushed the door open. But the vision that greeted him was not what he had expected. Botan's room...well, the room itself looked about how he'd envisioned it. Girlish enough, with light blue bedsheets and a feminine decor that left no doubt in his mind the pink-kimono'd spirit girl dwelled here. But what surprised him was that the place was a mess. It was like she hadn't bothered to really clean the place for days.

The girl, however, was not here. Hiei breathed a sigh of disappointment to find the room had been a dead end. But then, that begged the question of where she could be, if she wasn't here? Hiei pressed his hand to his forehead, thinking. There was only one person who knew this place well enough that he'd know where she was, but he wasn't going to cooperate voluntarily, and would be on his guard. But it was the only way.

----------------------------------------------

Koenma watched the attack on the monitor screen across from his desk. He felt a mixture of confusion and fear wash over him, trying to figure out what was going on. Hiei was attacking his guards, Hiei had attacked Megumi, and now Hiei had broken into Botan's bedroom...everything was going to hell.

He saw Hiei on the monitor, taking out more guards, and a chill went down his spine as he realized he recognized the route Hiei was taking. He was coming to... "SEAL THE DOORS!" he ordered to his two ogres, and cursed himself for giving Ayame today off. Hiei was coming for him, and he couldn't afford to–

The doors smashed inwards, and one ogre flew through the air, having been standing there trying to keep it shut. Hiei, the fire demon, stood proudly in the doorway, with his trademark katana held powerfully in his right hand. Fire seemed to burn around him as he threw his question straight into the room. "Where is she?"

The second ogre moved to intercept, but Hiei was simply too fast. Striking at the back of the ogre's neck with the back of his sword, Hiei put him down hard, though once again avoided a killing blow. He came to a landing on the ground right in front of Koenma's desk, facing towards the screen, then turned his head slowly to look at Koenma. "I won't ask a second time."

Koenma's eyes faltered for a moment, uncertain as to what to do. He had prepared for Hiei to betray them, he'd been expecting it, but it still came as a surprise. He knew who Hiei was after, and it only made him fear for Botan's safety even more. What would happen if this demon found her? He had to be strong, he had to be brave. The toddler was more frightened now than he had ever been. He'd seen horrible things on the monitor, seen his fighters against the most impossible odds, but this was the first time he had ever been cornered in his office.

"You can't have her," Koenma exclaimed. "She's somewhere safe, somewhere you can't get to her." He was bluffing, of course, he didn't have a clue where she was, but he was trying to be brave, for her sake. However, when Hiei turned to face him, lifting his blade menacingly, the toddler king found his strength faltering. He was terrified now, and he knew that there would be no stopping Hiei if he decided to get serious.

Hiei was tired of not getting the answers he sought, and he had gone this far already. He would find Botan no matter what the price, even if it meant threatening the ruler of Reikai himself! He lifted his blade menacingly, with a snarl emitting from his lips. "You know where she is, now talk. You can find her. There is nothing that happens in Reikai that you don't know about."

Koenma shrank back into his chair, heavily intimidated by the fire demon that had taken down his two guards. "You can't...I won't let you hurt her. She–YUSUKE!" Relief washed over his face as he looked towards the opening, causing Hiei to turn his attention as well.

Yusuke Urameshi stood powerfully in the door, his right pointer finger directed straight at Hiei, with a blue energy glowing from the tip. His Spirit Gun was already charging. Standing behind him, to his left, was Kuwabara, with his orange Spirit Sword already emitting from his hands. Lastly, on his right, was Kurama, with both confusion and compassion visible on his face. "Stand down, Hiei," Yusuke spoke quietly, with a serious determination on his voice.

Hiei turned to face the Spirit Detective, and shifted his sword to his left hand. He knew he couldn't face down all three at once. Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama...his pride told him he could beat any of them. But he knew all three together would be too much for him to handle. But he was determined to not be Koenma's lap dog any longer, and more determined to find Botan. Black energy began to ripple down his right arm, the Black Dragon Hellfire preparing to tear this entire place apart. If he had to go, he would go out with a bang.


	20. Chapter 19: Wisdom of the Fox

**Chapter Nineteen: Wisdom of the Fox**

Kurama couldn't help but feel curious over Hiei's quick departure after his questions. Perhaps he had struck a nerve with his question about Botan, and that made him wonder. Hiei was not acting like himself of late, and he couldn't help but wonder if what Hiei had told him about Botan had something to do with this moodiness he had taken on.

Was it possible, he wondered? The more he thought about it, the more questions he had. It was a fairly rare happening, a Reikai spirit and a Makai demon falling in love. But he wondered more and more, as he walked down that lonely street, if it was possible. Hiei had never been the kind of tender, caring person he always figured Botan would go for, but the question of her attraction had already been answered. So now, all he could wonder was if it was possible. Could a fire demon love her back?

A part of him ached at the question, however. Botan was a beautiful, incredible spirit. She had a certain angelic greatness to her, one that he had admired from time to time. But, he supposed, there were others. He had spent much of his demon life alone, and spent his human life with no one but his human mother. And this left Kurama to lament, from time to time. He hid it well, with a smile, with a kind, compassionate gesture, but inside, he felt alone.

Hiei was probably the best friend he had, and that alone was a crushing blow to him. There had been one girl, one time. Her name was Maya, and she shared classes with him. However, he couldn't bring himself to involve her, especially now, in his life. She had been involved once, been taken prisoner by the demon Eight-Hands, and had almost died because of him. He had erased her memory, erased any and all feelings she had for him, to keep her safe.

And now...now, more than ever, he knew he could not involve someone like her in his life. She was a very sweet, very innocent girl, and that was her failing. If he brought her in, she would only get herself killed. He had seen what had happened to Keiko since she fell in love with Yusuke, and he had no desire to put Maya through the same.

And so, he found himself alone, as always. But now was not the time to dwell on it. He still needed to find Kuwabara, and if he was not at his home...hmm...Kurama began to think. He brought one hand up to his forehead, rubbing it softly, while trying to remember. Where was it that Yusuke and Kuwabara were wont to go on school days like this, when they weren't in class?

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The knocking came again, and Botan groaned it away. She'd been wracked again and again this past night by the nightmares, by his horrible, wretched voice inside her once more. "Don't fight it, sweetheart. You and I are going to have a lot of fun together." She had tossed and turned all night, haunted by the visions of Tsarakino, by the memories that just wouldn't go away.

Her pillow was stained with the tears of heartache, tears of sorrow. She hurt inside, a pain that refused to heal. She didn't know what she wanted, what she needed. She just wanted to not have his shadow over her any longer. She wanted to be free from his horrible voice, to live her life again without his memory tormenting her. She wanted...she wanted to not be alone anymore.

"Botan?" The voice came again from the other side of her door. Ayame had come to visit her again, just like she had every day since Botan had holed herself up in here. She knew Ayame wanted to help her, that she was just trying to do what she could, but she just didn't understand. Botan was in love. She was in love with a man she could never see again, and haunted by a shadow of a man she hoped would die a very painful, agonizing death.

"Botan, I'm coming in." Ayame's voice was cautious, her tone careful to avoid accidentally slipping. She twisted the knob slowly, easing it open and letting light shine in on the dark, dead room within. "Botan..." she sagged when she saw her. Botan had not gotten better since her last visit, when she promised to eat. She'd actually gotten worse.

"Go away," Botan grumbled. Her stomach pained her, nagged at her to eat, but she wouldn't listen. She couldn't, not while she was here, alone. Tears streaked down her cheeks, and she stayed turned away from Ayame. She didn't want her friend to see her like this, not now, not here. But the more she pushed, the more Ayame pushed back.

"Botan..." Ayame struggled to think of what she could do. Koenma had given her permission to take this day off, so that she could spend it with Botan. "You know what you need?" she pondered aloud. "You need to get out of this dreary place, Botan. Have some fun. You remember fun?"

Botan snarled her response, "I need to be left alone,"

Ayame shook her head. "No, no, that won't do. Botan, this place is killing you. What happened to that cheerful spirit, that happy, hyper nature you always had? You've had too long to just sit here and sulk, and it's killing you." Ayame was borderline pleading now. To say that she was worried was a grand understatement.

Botan closed her eyes tightly, ignoring Ayame's voice. "This is where I belong. Alone."

Ayame pleaded. "Botan, please. I care about you. I know you may not realize it, but I do. I can't just sit here and watch you waste away like this, I can't! I know that you're going through something difficult–"

"You don't have a clue what I'm going through!" Botan snapped, upright in her bed, anger blazing on her face now.

"No," Ayame conceded, "I don't. But I want to help you. Please, Botan. Let me help you."

Botan ran her hands up to her face, the anger fading into sorrow and the tears starting to come back. She fell silent, and after a moment, Ayame moved to sit down beside her, resting her arms around Botan and pulling her close. Botan sobbed, her tears staining Ayame's shoulder. She was alone, always alone, but at least she had company.

--------------------------------------------------

Yusuke tipped his chair back, at the local food court. He rest with one knee against the table to stabilize himself, while he sipped a soft drink he'd purchased. He cast his expression across the table to Kuwabara, continuing their conversation. "Guy's really starting to grate my nerves, y'know? I mean, how the heck do you fight something like that?" They had gone over this conversation at least a half dozen times already. Tsarakino had done a good job capturing their attention, and his usage of Keiko only served to piss Yusuke off.

"If I could just get my hands on him," Kuwabara wished, "...I mean, a man doesn't do those kinds of things! This coward hides behind little girls and picks on women. What kind of man gets away with that!"

Yusuke sighed. "An invincible one."

Kuwabara opened his mouth to speak, but then spotted something else to take their attention off the astral specter they still couldn't figure out how to fight. "Kurama!" He waved his hand up in the air, to grab the fox's attention.

Kurama smiled and hurried towards their table. "I've been looking for you," he greeted Kuwabara. He decided it was best to leave out what had happened with Shizuru, especially since he was still having difficulty processing it. "Both of you, actually. I was thinking about–"

Kurama was cut off by a chime from Yusuke's pocket. The sound filled all three boys with dread, for they all knew what that was. The pocket communicator Botan had given him before, the little pink compact that made him feel like an idiot carrying around. "...I better answer this," Yusuke sighed, and lifted the compact out of his pocket.

He was not ready for the chaos that greeted him when he opened it, however. Koenma was seated at his desk on the other end, but both his ogres seemed panicked, scouring the office for objects to barricade the door with. "Yusuke, Hiei's gone berserk, we need you here, now!" was all Koenma said before shutting down the communication.

The boys exchanged glances, taking a moment to register what Koenma had just shouted at them. Yusuke felt concern and a lack of understanding. Had Hiei really turned against them? He had to get down there, fast. He looked to Kurama for guidance, "How do we get to Reikai?"

Kurama stammered a moment, trying to make sense of this. Koenma was not the type to make jokes, especially about something like this. But what would compel Hiei to attack the palace of Reikai? "I...I'll show you...it's...um..." he struggled for words, trying to find the right way to put his sentence together, but his mind was too fractured. He couldn't understand what was happening.

--------------------------------------------------

And so it was that, less than twenty minutes later, the boys had found themselves at a standoff. Hiei stood defiantly before Koenma's office, with a proud smirk emblazoned upon his face. His sword rested powerfully in his left hand, while he lifted his right arm to display the darkness energy that was burning down it, the black flame that had already encompassed it.

Yusuke stood dominantly, his Spirit Gun charging and aimed at Hiei, ready to fire if it became necessary to do so. He didn't know what had led them to this moment, what had brought them here and made Hiei their enemy, but he knew he couldn't allow this to continue. Come what may, he had to do his job. He was the Spirit Detective, and no demon, not even Hiei, would be allowed to trash this palace.

Kuwabara kept his Spirit Sword carefully between himself and Hiei. Though a powerful look of courage stood across his face, he was afraid. He would do what he must, and he would fight Hiei if he had to, but he hoped there would be another solution. He had seen what Hiei was capable of during the Dark Tournament, had seen the Black Dragon Hellfire that now swirled around Hiei's arm, and he knew just how powerful that demon was. Courage compelled him to stand his ground, and so he did. He was a man, a brave, powerful man. But inside, he was afraid.

Kurama struggled to understand what was happening here. Why would Hiei attack this place, why would he be here? "Hiei..." he took a step forward, his hand gesturing to Yusuke, telling him to hold off on attacking. "What's going on? What are you trying to do?" His eyes pleaded with the fire demon for reason, trying to understand what would lead him here.

Hiei took a step back, holding out his right arm threateningly. "Get out of here, Kurama, if you want to remain intact. This is not your fight." Of all of them, Kurama was the one least objectionable to Hiei. He knew that this was about to explode into violence, and if anyone here had been kind enough to Hiei to not deserve this, it was Kurama.

Kurama positioned himself carefully, planting himself directly between Yusuke and Hiei, right in the line of fire. "Hiei, please, talk to me. What is going on? What happened?"

Hiei snarled, "I think I've said enough to you. I will not be Koenma's lap dog any longer. This is how it should be, this is what I was always meant for. We're demons, Kurama. We're not his servants, and we're certainly not human, no matter how hard you try to disguise yourself. This is what we do, demons and spirits alike. We fight."

Kurama tried to make sense of Hiei's words. "Hiei, that can't be...I mean...I don't understand."

Hiei continued, "We're not them. We don't beg at their doorstep for what we want, we take it. You had no problem taking the Forlorn Hope," he reminded the fox demon. "This is what we do." Kurama began to ponder Hiei's words. He was here for something he wanted...Botan?

"Hiei," Kurama stepped forward. "Is this about Botan?" He was trying once more to make sense of it, and it was starting to come together. "Is that why you're here? Because he won't let you see Botan?"

Hiei snarled. Kurama had chosen a poor word. "There is nothing that I do because he lets me. He does not control my life any longer. This is who I am, Kurama. I am the most powerful demon that has ever lived! I don't have to bend to his will!"

The black flame on Hiei's arm swirled larger, to illustrate his point. Yusuke tensed, for a moment he thought Hiei was about to strike. He had no clue what was going on at this point, he just trusted that Kurama knew what he was talking about. He'd caught Botan's name, but didn't know what she could possibly have to do with any of this.

Koenma tucked himself down in his chair. He was frightened now, he knew that together, Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama could defeat Hiei. But he didn't know how much of his office...nay, his palace would be intact after they were done. Not to mention losses caught in the crossfire.

--------------------------------------------------

"Now, see, Botan? Isn't this better than sitting up in your dreary little room?" Ayame smiled, nudging Botan for a response. After several minutes of crying on her shoulder, Botan had agreed that maybe Ayame was right, she did need to get out of there.

But she found herself questioning whether she was ready, the more she was out. Ayame had taken her on a walk through the palace, on their way to get out into town. They were going to go see some of the sights that could be found in the royal city, but Botan was nervous about leaving the palace. She had this horrible feeling that somewhere out there, Tsarakino was waiting for her. But she nodded her head anyway, trying to be brave. She had to take her first steps out of here, she knew that. She had to be strong.

She opened her mouth to speak, but was distracted by two ogres racing past. More were coming down the hall, reinforcements, and it sent a chill down Botan's spine. Was it the Tomorrow? Were they launching another attack? She grabbed the arm of one of the ogres as it passed, fear and insecurity welling up inside her. "What's going on!"

The ogre wrestled out of her grip and kept running, tossing back to her, "The fire demon called Hiei is attacking Koenma's office!" before continuing on his path. His words, Botan found more terrifying than a second assault.

"Hiei..." the name came through her lips, but she couldn't believe it. What was happening down there? She took off, racing after the ogre, moving on pure instinct. It had to be a lie, it had to be wrong, he couldn't be here. She knew in her heart, he wouldn't attack Koenma, he was better than that, she knew it!

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Kurama spoke softly, his words echoing compassion, trying to reason with the fire demon. "Hiei, what you're looking for...this isn't the way to get it. I know you're upset, I know you're angry, but I want to help you. Please, let me–"

Hiei scoffed. "You know, I think you've helped enough, Kurama. This has gone on long enough." He raised his arm directly towards Kurama, and Yusuke behind him. The black flame burned stronger, ready to be unleashed. "This is how it has to be. This is how it was always meant to be. Now you can stand aside, or you can–"

"Hiei?" The voice came from the broken-in doors to Koenma's office. That soft, feminine voice resonated in his soul, and he hesitated. He heard the voice, but a part of him couldn't believe it. His eyes softened and his arm lowered only an inch, before he tried to shake it off. But he couldn't and he found his attention turning to the door, to the blue-haired ponytail that stood so gorgeously within it. Her eyes had begun to water, and there was terror on her face. She couldn't believe what she was seeing here.

Kurama saw his opportunity, maintaining his calm, cautious tone. He knew that he would have to play this very, very carefully. He said nothing at first, watching carefully, waiting for the moment. He backed slowly towards Yusuke, taking a gamble he knew would mean either victory or defeat for them. "Lower your weapon," he whispered to the Spirit Detective.

"What? Are you nuts?" Yusuke hissed back, keeping his Spirit Gun trained on Hiei. He didn't know what was happening, but he didn't dare give Hiei the advantage.

"Yusuke," Kurama insisted, "have I ever, in the past, given you reason to doubt my judgment?" Kurama knew this was their one shot, that he couldn't pass this up.

"No," Yusuke admitted.

"Then please," Kurama pressed, "I can't explain it, there isn't time, but I ask that you trust me now. Trust that I know what I'm doing, and lower your weapon. You'll understand soon."

Yusuke lowered his Spirit Gun, unraveling his fingers from the gun hand position. As he did, he watched Hiei, whose attention was now off him, take one, then two steps towards Botan. The black flame faded from Hiei's arm, as the demon's mind was once more wracked by questions, by a lack of understanding. Here she was, the girl he had come all this way for, and he didn't know what to do about it. Pride and confusion swirled within him, and he didn't have an answer.

Kurama took a deep breath, stepping towards Hiei, eyes on Botan. "Look at her," he smiled, his soft voice trying to appeal to what he knew had to be growing within Hiei. "Isn't she beautiful?"

Botan clasped her hands together nervously, uncertain what to do. She saw Hiei's black flame fade, and she watched Yusuke lower his Spirit Gun. But for the most part, her eyes were fixed on Hiei, pleading, begging for this not to be what it looked like.

"Is this what you want?" Kurama asked, appealing to Hiei without waiting for an answer. "Is this why you're here? Everything you said before...is this what it was all about?" He gestured to Botan for a moment, then continued. "You could do it, you know. You could bring this place burning to rubble, be infamous, a legend to Makai and the most powerful demon that ever lived." He drew in a deep breath, continuing. "You might be able to kill us all, perhaps. I don't know, and I don't wish to know. But, Hiei...is that what you really want? Is that why you're here?"

Hiei's face softened, his eyes locked on Botan, locked on the nervous fear that she now looked at him with. Kurama continued, "Hiei...you could do all that, but is that what you want? Look at her. Her soft, blue hair...those beautiful lips of hers...tell me, Hiei. Look at her and tell me, what do you really want?"

Hiei stood, silently, his eyes studying Botan. His grip around his sword remained firm, unsteady, as he struggled to decide. His mind was wracked by conflicting forces, and her presence had only made it worse. He didn't know what to do.

Yusuke watched Hiei carefully, his fingers slowly clasping back together. He wasn't sure what was going on, and though he was beginning to grip it, he was reluctant to admit it. The idea was simply too strange, as he watched Hiei and Botan, he only found himself more confused.

Kuwabara had stayed silent, his Spirit Sword still wavering in the air. He had no clue what was going on, was just trying to keep up with the situation.

Kurama sucked in a deep breath, hoping, praying for his gambit to work. This was their last chance, and he knew it. He had taken a great risk in having Yusuke release his Spirit Gun, and he knew that if it didn't work, he would be the first to pay for it. He backed off, slowly, leaving the two. His part was done, and now he could only wait and hope.

Botan stepped back, nervously, her hands wrapping behind her back. She was frightened, she didn't know what to do. Was this really the man she had fallen in love with? She didn't know. She knew what he would do, but she didn't know if he was this man. But...if what Kurama had said was correct...had he done this for her? That question echoed in her mind now, and she was uncertain whether to approach him or run. If he had...then she didn't know what to think.

Silence filled the office, a silent tension creeping over the room. Hiei struggled to make his decision, unknowing, undetermined, trying his hardest to fight with his own natural instincts, to make some sense of what he was doing here. The silence went on, longer and longer, creeping over everyone. Until finally,

CLANG

The silence was split by the sound of Hiei's sword clattering against the floor. He had released his grip, and with that sound, the conflict was over. His eyes remained studiously on Botan, and he watched a smile begin to creep over her face. She knew, inside, that he could do it. She knew he was better than this, she knew it.

"Botan," Hiei began, but he didn't know where to go with that. He couldn't deny what he felt inside any longer. He was a demon, and every fiber of his being went against this one, irrefutable truth, that he had fallen in love with a Reikai spirit. Words wouldn't describe it, they couldn't describe it, and he didn't know how to explain what he knew he must.

He turned his gaze to Kurama, confused, and Kurama simply nodded. The fox understood without words, and he nodded his head, gesturing Hiei forward. Hiei turned his head back to Botan, and he watched her smile, watched her step slowly towards him. Words would not explain it, but actions spoke infinitely louder than words.

And so it was that he was gone, in a flash of speed he had vanished from his place, and she found herself lifted back by his movement. In less than a second, he stood over her, his arms wrapped around her as she lay back in his arms. He had tipped her off her feet, holding her up carefully, and for the first time, she saw an actual smile begin to cross his face. But she only saw it for a moment, before she found his lips pressing against hers, in a moment she had longed for days to find. Her arms wrapped around his neck, while her legs rest against the floor, her height being the only bane of their position. Her eyes closed softly, and her fingers traced against his back, as she pressed herself up into the long, passionate kiss that she had waited her whole life for. The spirit knew now, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that she was in love.

**END PART TWO: THE LONELY SOULS**


	21. Chapter 20: The Mission Ahead

**PART THREE: KNOW THY ENEMY**

**Chapter Twenty: The Mission Ahead**

"Okay," the young Spirit Detective sighed, "from the beginning." Only two days had passed since what had almost turned into war between Yusuke and Hiei, and things were still fairly shaky. In retaliation, Koenma had almost passed a ruling that Hiei was prohibited from entering the royal palace, but Ayame had convinced him that Hiei wouldn't really care what Koenma said, and any attempt to keep him away from Botan would be a fairly poor move. For the same reason, Botan had been reinstated as Yusuke's assistant, and Megumi was pushed back to ferrygirl.

Although matters with Hiei were still fairly tense, other issues needed to be seen to. Tsarakino was still out there, the Tomorrow was still planning something, and there was the mystery night with Keiko that still needed to be puzzled out. For these reasons, another meeting was called, this time with Koenma presiding over it via Yusuke's communicator. It was time to find the truth about what was going on.

Kuwabara had taken up his favored seat at his chair, in the small room. Kurama stood with his back against the wall, his mind racing furiously to find the answers they so desperately needed. While Yusuke had taken his position on the floor, he couldn't help but grin at the fourth of their party. Hiei had been moved from his preferred windowsill, Botan had seen to that. And it was with a look of mild embarrassment that he now resided on the bed, pulled much further into Kuwabara's room than he'd ever wanted to be, with two soft, tender arms wrapped around his neck and a head of blue pressed against his shoulder.

The pink compact that held the communicator sat on Kuwabara's desk, next to the computer. Koenma was easily visible through it, for this was a meeting he was not willing to miss. It was time to take action. Additionally, they needed his input on something, and that very thing was the first note of the meeting.

"Okay," Kurama sighed, running over it for the group. "Kuwabara and I have been taking turns keeping watch over Keiko for the past four nights. And every night, it's the same thing. She seems to be having some kind of horrible nightmare, but she never remembers any of it when she wakes up. Every so often, I can feel some kind of presence, but...it's almost like it doesn't really exist. I can't quite place what it is."

"It's that black snake!" Kuwabara exclaimed, turning his attention to Yusuke. "Remember, the one I was telling you about? That thing's got her good, so far nothing's been able to really affect it. I've tried my Spirit Sword, I've tried waking her up, nothing so much as budges it. It's like she's–"

"Wait," Koenma interrupted over the communicator. There was a look of urgency on the toddler's face that Yusuke had long since become accustomed to. However, as the young prince spoke, there was a greater tension in his voice than Yusuke was used to. "A black snake?"

Kuwabara nodded his head. "Yeah, this weird, misty black snake. It wraps itself around Keiko every night, and then she starts shaking and sweating like she's having some kind of nightmare. It's hard to see, though. I can only catch it every now and then."

"Indeed," Kurama nodded. He hadn't seen the snake, but he had seen the shaking. "She never remembers the nightmares when she wakes, though. I've asked her how long she's been having these lost nightmares, and she said it's been almost a month now."

"A MONTH!" Yusuke exploded. "This THING's been hurting Keiko for a MONTH!"

With a gulp, Kurama nodded his head in confirmation. "I'm afraid so. She has been having these absent nightmares since..." he fell silent, and slowly the event dawned on everyone. It had started there, that's when whatever had taken her had found her. Whatever was happening to Keiko, it had started there.

Yusuke's eyes widened in realization, followed by Kuwabara. Koenma was silent, not saying a word, his eyes closed in thought. Something was going on in his mind, something difficult to make out. Hiei had gotten it before, he was the first after Kurama. But Botan, on the other hand...she was the last to realize it, her head slowly lifting from Hiei's shoulder and her mouth opened slowly. "...the Dark Tournament..." Kurama nodded his head, confirming.

"Urgh..." Yusuke grumbled for a moment, before he exploded. "This is STUPID! Tonight, I'm going to kick that thing's–"

"No." Koenma's voice was very stern, and it carried within it a more serious tone than Yusuke had ever heard from him. "There are more important matters to–"

"MORE IMPORTANT!" Yusuke exploded. "This is Keiko! She's–"

"Everyone is in danger if we don't find out what the Tomorrow is planning," Koenma interrupted. Botan listened to his voice, and she found herself frightened. There was a directness in it that even she had never heard before, not from him. It was almost like he was actually afraid of something, of this black snake they were discussing.

"Screw that!" Yusuke argued. "You can't tell me to–"

"DETECTIVE URAMESHI," Koenma exploded, and even Hiei was visible surprised by this sudden outburst. It was not like Koenma to get so angry. "You have a job to do and you will do it, or so help me I will find someone else to take your place. The snake is not important, not now, and I will not risk my best people to a rushed mission against something they're not ready to face. The Tomorrow cult is your first priority, after that you can worry about the snake. Do I make myself clear?"

Silence filled the room once more, before realization dawned on Botan. She was the first to speak, standing up from her embrace around Hiei and stepping towards the communicator. She realized something, and now she needed an answer. "You know," she whispered, her voice straining to come out. "You know what that thing is..."

Koenma's hand reached up to rub his forehead, as he struggled to explain. "No. I have guesses. Hunches. But...it's not important. Right now, we have a mission to focus on. I'm sending you into Makai. It's time to take the fight to the Tomorrow's doorstep."

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Deep in the heart of the Tomorrow's Sanctuary, the demon Fjerin paced back and forth in his throne room. Impatience was beginning to settle into his mind, and he was beginning to wonder how much longer Tsarakino's plan would take. The Jagan sat in its jar beside his throne, waiting for the time when they would put it to use. But how much longer would that be?

He turned his head down to Atsuko on the floor, but she hadn't moved of her own volition in days. The broken heap of a woman wasn't any fun anymore, she had since ceased to respond to anything. She ate little, and the only time she spoke was when Tsarakino spoke through her. Even confronting her with her impending death had ceased to be amusing, because she had lost any fear of it, and he wondered if she actually yearned for it. This broken woman was simply no fun.

The sound of the large doubledoors opening assaulted Fjerin's ears, and he knew that his servant had returned. As he turned his attention away from the battered mutt by his throne, he couldn't help but wonder at the whole point to this. Kitrone, one of his best, stepped forward onto the red carpet, walking to her master. Fjerin drew a deep breath, looking down at her, then mustering a smile. "Welcome back, my child," he greeted her as he greeted all his people.

Kitrone stepped forward and bent down on one knee, bowing to her master. "Thank you, my lord," she greeted him, her eyes turned down to the floor, awaiting his instruction.

"Rise," Fjerin smiled, and she did as she was told. "Do you know why I have called you back here?" he questioned her. Kitrone shook her head, so he continued. "You are here because I am concerned about Phase Three of the plan. How is progress on Hiei proceeding?"

Kitrone sighed, afraid she would be asked this. "Not well, my lord," she admitted. "He is a difficult egg to crack. I don't believe he'll be all that willing to talk, even if I do make a small dent in his armor."

"And that," the voice spoke from behind Fjerin, "is the very point." Fjerin turned around, somewhat surprised, and saw Atsuko standing beside his throne, on her feet with that same smirk he had grown to know so well on her face. Though the words did confuse him, and of course, he needed clarification.

"What is?" he asked, not sure he understood Tsarakino's intent.

Tsarakino laughed. "Do you really think we're going to get Hiei to spill? He'd probably crack Kitrone open before she'd crack his shell."

Fjerin narrowed his eyes. "Then what, pray tell, is the point?"

Tsarakino stepped forward to put one arm around Fjerin and the other around Kitrone, a sort of conspiratory whisper beginning in his throat, but got Atsuko's neck caught on her collar. Being still in the bonds that Fjerin kept her in, he didn't have the mobility required, and wound up yanked back by the throat and hitting the ground hard. Fjerin laughed, though Kitrone didn't dare make a noise. The grin on her face told everything.

Fjerin took three steps forward and stood over Atsuko, fighting down the chuckles. "I do so hope THAT was not the point, or I may find myself questioning your sanity, friend."

Tsarakino reached his hand up and rubbed Atsuko's throat, with a sarcastic glare cast at Fjerin. "Very funny," he coughed. "Now...back to the point."

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"Right now, we have a mission to focus on. I'm sending you into Makai. It's time to take the fight to the Tomorrow's doorstep." Shizuru heard Koenma's voice through the door, as she listened silently to the meeting within. Sakyo would be more than pleased to hear this, she smiled, it would mean more alone time for the two of them.

Shizuru vanished from the door immediately after hearing those words. She didn't care what they had to say to each other, all she cared was that they would be gone soon. She had agreed to meet Sakyo on the roof tonight, after her brother was asleep. She would tell him the good news then.

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The throne room of Tomorrow's Sanctuary stood still for several minutes. Fjerin had gone to inspect the troops, leaving Tsarakino alone with Kitrone. Several minutes passed by, neither saying a word, just watching and listening to make sure he was gone. Finally, the silence was broken by Kitrone, her voice tentatively reaching for Tsarakino. "So...my job is to–"

"Yep," Tsarakino nodded his head. "Just what I told you. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll do fine. Remember, the whole plan depends on this. If we can pull this off, we'll have that toddler prince eating out of our hands. The whole Unit K plan revolves around this; you should know that better than anyone, Kitrone."

Kitrone nodded her head, then looked back towards the door. "What about..."

Tsarakino smirked his devilish smirk. "Don't worry about him. Just keep stroking his ego and we'll do just fine."

Kitrone's voice filled with a nervous tension, she wasn't certain if the plan was going to work. "Do you think he suspects anything?" she asked carefully, "If he realizes that–"

"He's not going to realize anything," Tsarakino interrupted. "That old fool still thinks he's the one with the power around here. Still thinks you guys are HIS people, that he has control over you and the others. Boy, is he in for a surprise. Don't worry about it. Just let him live out his delusions and keep the Detective sidetracked. I'll deal with him when the time comes. You just worry about Hiei."

Kitrone nodded her head. "We're really going to do it, aren't we? Just like the prophecy said...we're going to make it happen!" she exclaimed, her excitement getting the better of her.

Tsarakino grinned. "As long as we let everything happen according to plan, we're going to pull it off. Just make sure you do your part, and let me worry about the rest. The Dawn of Tomorrow is almost at hand. It won't be long now."

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The meeting had ended, and Koenma found himself alone in his office. Ayame stood to his left, and his favorite ogre was on his right, but neither of them could really understand what was happening. His mind raced with the information he'd been given, with the horrible warnings that blared through his head. This couldn't be happening, it simply couldn't.

He thought back to his earlier days. What were those stories his father had told him? He'd heard so many of them, of his father Yama's exploits as a child. Of the earlier cases of the Spirit Detection Agency, before he had even been born. There were so many stories, of demons and humans and spirits, of all manner of spirit cases that had come up.

But only one really stuck out in his mind, and it was one that chilled him to the bone every time he thought about it. The more he considered what Kuwabara had said, the more it frightened him. It couldn't be true, there had to be another explanation. A demon, an attack, a psychic, this answer and that answer and all sorts of answers swirled in his head. It just couldn't be true.

"Ayame," he began to ask, "Have you ever...no, never mind." He dropped it almost as soon as it was out of his mouth. She wouldn't know, it was long before her time. No, there was only one way he could be certain. He had to know, one way or another. He had to make it not be true, and the only way to do that was to prove it wasn't real.

"Yes, Lord Koenma?" Ayame asked, confused by his words. But he didn't respond, there was too much urgency in this.

Koenma climbed down from his desk, walking towards the door. His ogre stopped him for a moment, confused, but let him go after the young prince shot him a glare that spoke more than a thousand words. He raced down the halls of the palace, running as fast as those little legs could carry him. The more he thought about it, the more he considered it, the more frightened he became. The story was only a story, he told himself. Stories couldn't harm you, especially ones from an age long past.

Koenma found his way to the archives, where they kept the records he needed. He was greeted by an ogre, who he quickly waved aside. "Open the door," Koenma ordered.

"Yes, my lord," the ogre nodded quickly. He unlocked and opened the door to the archives, and Koenma stepped quickly inside. The first room contained the records of the people, from Ningenkai, from Reikai, and even from Makai. But he needed more than this. He passed as quickly as those little legs could carry him down the archives, coming to the next room. And it was there he hesitated, staring up at the door that he was afraid to open. The words "Spirit Detective Case Files" was emblazoned across it, and for minutes, he stared at those words, not knowing what to expect.

He had been in this room many times before, checking up on old cases, reading up on old activities. But none this dire, none this severe. Slowly, finally, he mustered the strength to do it. He was afraid of what he would learn within, but he had to go and find out. He slipped the door open and stepped inside.

A wall of records greeted him, that seemed to stretch on forever. As he came to the first file, he lifted it up in his arms. "Case File #376: Tarukane" was written proudly on the cover of the folder, and he knew inside was every piece of information they had on the last completed case. This was the case from when Yusuke and Kuwabara infiltrated the mansion of the wealthy man Tarukane, in order to rescue the ice maiden Yukina, Hiei's sister, from his clutches. It was also where they had met the Toguro Brothers for the first time.

Koenma set that folder down and moved on. There were so many folders, so many files, so many different cases. Finding the folder he sought would be difficult, if it wasn't so distinctive. No, he knew that he would simply need to work his way back until he reached it. It wasn't long before he'd reached Yusuke's first case. Koenma remembered those days with a smile, back when things were so simple. Three demons, Hiei, Kurama, and a demon named Gouki, had stolen artifacts from his father's vault. So simple.

Koenma moved past that, to the next Spirit Detective, before Yusuke. His name had been Sensui. He had been a good kid, before...no, he knew, that was a different story. There would be time for that some other day. For now, he needed to focus. He moved back past Sensui, to the one before him. And the one before him. Yamato, Hiroshine, so many names, so many Detectives, so many cases. Back and back further, until he reached Case File #216: Kiratene. He stopped here a moment, staring at the folder with fond memory. This had been his first case, the first time he had overseen a Spirit Detective. This was the first case he had ever given out, back when he was put in charge of the Agency.

Koenma looked up from the folder, then started to head farther back. Back to the years when his father had been in charge. Back to before he'd ever been born. He remembered the stories that his father had told him, of all the different cases he had overseen. 197, 184, 169, back further and further. Some names struck him, remembering his father's stories about them. Most were a complete blank to him, but he kept going. The black snake, he knew, would be back here. The black snake was his father's most terrifying story.

The black snake. The thought chilled him once more, from the stories his father had told. It could not be the same black snake, he knew it. He had to be sure, though. He kept telling himself this. It couldn't be her but he had to be sure. It couldn't be her, right? He kept going, further and further back, until finally, he found what he was looking for. His hand trembled as he reached for the file, pulling it slowly from its resting place. Probably the largest file in the entire archives, he stared down at the folder, afraid to open it. It couldn't be her. It just couldn't be. But, once again he told himself, he had to be sure. With a deep breath, he started back for his office, carrying with him the large, brown folder. And written on the folder were the words "Case File #001: Nightmare."


	22. Chapter 21: Last Day on Earth

**Chapter Twenty-One: Last Day on Earth**

"So that's it," Yusuke finished. As he stood with his arms on the railing of the bridge, looking out at the water passing below him, he could feel Keiko's impatient frustration brimming behind him. He knew she didn't like the idea of him going into dangerous terrain, and he knew she especially hated the thought of being left behind to worry. "We leave for Makai this afternoon. Hiei, Kuwabara, and I should hopefully be back in a few weeks, tops. If things go well...maybe just one or two."

"What about Kurama?" Kieko was perceptive as always. It was one of those traits Yusuke at the same time admired and feared about her. It was always so hard to get things past her.

Yusuke sighed, reaching for an answer. "Kurama's going to be staying home from this one. He...well, he doesn't want to disappear for so long. His mother nearly worried herself to death during the Dark Tournament and he doesn't want to do that to her again." He was careful not to look back at Keiko as he spoke. He knew the truth was written on his face, and he didn't want her to see it.

"Uh-huh," Keiko's eyes narrowed as her suspicion grew. She knew there was something he was not telling her, and she was afraid for what it could mean. "And I suppose this has absolutely nothing to do with me, right? This isn't about the nightmares I've been having."

"Keiko..." Yusuke slowly turned back to face her. He could feel her eyes boring holes in his soul, and he knew she wouldn't let this go until she got a real answer. "Keiko, listen to me. There's nothing to worry about, okay? We'll be back in a couple of weeks, and we can talk about it then."

"No, Yusuke," Keiko started to fume. "I want to talk about it now. What's happening to me? Why are you guys dancing around me? Why can't I come to group meetings anymore? And why are you running off to Makai while leaving Kurama here to watch me? What is going on?"

"Keiko..." Yusuke strained his voice, but he knew she wouldn't be happy without an answer. But what could he tell her? He didn't even HAVE the answer she was looking for. "Look, Keiko, I'm leaving Kurama here because of my last five big adventures, your life has been put in danger in three of them. I'm not looking to repeat that, okay?" Hiei, Suzaku, Toguro, all had endangered Keiko to get what they wanted of Yusuke. He wasn't going to let Yoshi Tsarakino do the same. "Trust me, Keiko. It's going to be fine."

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"Hiei! Hold on a second!" The black-robed figure walked silently down the hall, not even hesitating at the voice behind him. There was too much on his mind to care for the pleasantries of conversation, and he certainly didn't want to spend his last moments in Reikai listening to a fawning dove.

The blue-haired maiden ran down the hall, trying to catch up with her dark-haired love. "Dammit, Hiei, would it kill you to show a little emotion every now and then?" He could hear the worry in her voice, but it only hardened his resolve. He had no time for this, and he was irritable enough as it was already.

He stopped, however reluctantly, and turned back to face her. The bandana wrapped around his forehead concealed his Jagan, but she knew just from looking how it was staring into her soul. It was something she had grown accustomed to. But what she didn't know was where the look in his other two eyes had come from; there were bags under each, and though his fierce facade gave off a strong feeling of power, she could see the weariness in his eyes the moment she looked into them.

"Botan, please," Hiei began, and Botan could hear a slight fatigue in his voice, "I have to speak to Koenma. I want to know whose incredibly stupid idea it was to leave Kurama behind, and take the idiot with us."

"Actually," Botan took a step back, and Hiei could see the hurt she was trying to conceal on her face. "That was mine." Great. He'd been seeing her for, what? Two days? And already his foot had landed in his mouth. Yusuke should have warned him about that part.

But the fact remained that it was a dumb idea. He wasn't going to take that back, and he certainly wasn't going to back down. His pride demanded that he push forward. "What compelled you to subject us to that idiot's presence?"

"Well," Botan's lip curled up into a pout, and Hiei realized this was going to be more difficult than he had hoped. "I just thought...you know...if something really bad happens, and someone goes after Keiko...I just thought Kurama would be a better pick to have to fight it alone than Kuwabara. No offense to Kuwabara, but...after the tournament, I think I trust Kurama to take care of himself better."

Hiei was speechless after hearing those words. He hadn't actually considered that particular angle; he'd been more fixated on the fact that he was going to be stuck with Kuwabara in Makai. But when she put it like that, he realized, "...that's not actually a bad idea." He realized this was a mistake the moment the words were out of his mouth, but it was too late.

Botan's head was already up high, and he could see her ego growing like a parade balloon down on the human world. "See? I always think these things through!"

"Yeah. Great." Hiei turned and started walking away. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I still need to speak with Koenma about what part of Makai we'll be visiting."

"Hiei!" Botan wasn't going to let him go that easily. "Hold on a minute! We still have until this afternoon, and you haven't even spoken to me once all day!"

"We just talked," Hiei sighed. "We had our talk, now I really need to–"

"Dammit, Hiei!" Botan was starting to get frustrated. "What is wrong with you today? Why are you trying to push me away like this? And where were you last night!"

Hiei stopped moving at that last part, slowly turning back to face Botan. "What are you talking about?"

"I went by your tree," there was a hint of pain and a definite sound of confusion in Botan's voice. "The one you like to sleep in, down in Ningenkai. You weren't there. I looked all over the forest for you. Where were you?"

"That's not important," Hiei started back towards Koenma's office. He was too tired to carry on this talk; he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep all night. "Just...go back to your room and get some rest. Don't worry about me. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Hiei!" Botan yelled after him, but she didn't get so much as a shrug in response. All she could do was watch him walk away. He was tired, she could tell. Tired enough to make him irritable. But where had he been last night? That was starting to make her worry.

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"Man, it's going to be WEIRD not having you around!" Kuwabara was still trying to adjust to the plan they had established. Kurama would be staying behind to watch over Keiko, to keep an eye on her if the nightmares intensified. This was not happy news for Kuwabara, as it meant being alone with Yusuke and Hiei.

"I know," Kurama spoke with a smile. Kuwabara was seated at his computer as they spoke, while Kurama took the bed. While Yusuke said his goodbyes to Keiko and Hiei was off...well, being Hiei, Kuwabara just appreciated having someone to kill time with. "It will be different, I'll give you that. But I'm sure Koenma will keep me updated on your progress. Just be sure and finish up fast; I would like to avoid being cornered by an angry Keiko over this, when she inevitably figures us out."

"Keiko?" Kuwabara asked. "I dunno, she probably won't know what we're up. I mean...I don't even know what we're up to."

"She's a smart girl," Kurama sighed. "I wouldn't be surprised if she's already started to wonder about us."

"I don't know," Kuwabara admitted. "Maybe you're right. Dad always used to tell me to watch out for smart girls, because they don't know how to be wrong. Never did figure out what he meant by that."

Something in the reminiscent tone Kuwabara used piqued Kurama's curiosity. It brought to mind a question he had always wondered about his friend, but never had the opportunity or opening to ask. "Whatever happened to your parents, anyway?" It was something that had whirled through his mind repeatedly in the time he'd known him. "I've been over here countless times; we all have. Both day and night. But I've never seen them."

Kuwabara shrugged his shoulders. "They're off on some stupid business trip. Been gone for two years. I haven't heard from them since they left, but my sister talks to them every now and then on the phone. And they send us money. She usually gets it when she goes to get the mail." Kuwabara tried to smile, but settled for a sigh instead. "It's mostly been just the two of us."

Kurama raised an eyebrow, but decided to drop it. There was something strange going on here, but he knew there was no sense in pressing it. "That...must be difficult." He offered, in place of a request for more information. As much as he enjoyed to know things, some topics were simply too sensitive to push too far, especially among friends.

"Yeah, it's been hard on both of us," Kuwabara admitted. "But my sister's doing great! It'd be a lot harder if she wasn't such a great student."

"Shizuru?" Kurama asked. Now he was even more confused. Many words came to mind when he considered Shizuru Kuwabara, but "great student" was not one of them.

"Yeah," Kuwabara nodded. "Sometimes she stays at that school she goes to until really late at night. I guess she must be studying or something. She comes home tired and worn out every now and then, and come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen her actually doing homework. She must be a straight-A student or something."

"Yes," Kurama spoke slowly, starting to piece things together. "...or something is right. Before another word could be spoken, the door slammed open. Shizuru stood in the doorway, with that angry look on her face that everyone had long since become accustomed to. A cigarette rested in her mouth as she stepped into the room. Kurama opened his mouth to speak, but a glare from Shizuru shut him up fast. She was in a spectacularly foul mood.

Kuwabara noticed the tension between Shizuru and Kurama, but before he could speak, a wad of bills was shoved in front of his face. "Here," Shizuru grumbled, after lifting the cigarette from her mouth with her left hand. "Mom and dad sent us some money. I don't know what they eat in that demon place you're going to, but I suggest you buy food before you go, because you probably don't want to find out."

Taking the money from Shizuru's hand, Kuwabara smiled. "Thanks, sis!" His eyes glazed over as he looked over the wad of cash; he had never seen so much yen before in his life.

Kurama's eyes ran up to Shizuru as she stood there, but her attention was focused solely on her baby brother. "And so help me, if you get killed in that stupid place, there is no spirit world or afterlife that can protect you from me. Understand?" There was a snarl in her voice as she spoke, one that Kurama had never fully understood before. She was always so harsh to her brother; it never really made sense to him.

Kuwabara nodded his head quickly, and Shizuru turned and stormed back out. Mumbling under her breath as she went, she closed the door quickly behind her with a slam. Her words caught Kurama's attention, however; the hearing of a fox was in many ways superior to that of a human. And as he watched her go, he felt himself beginning to understand.

"Man, what was that about?" Kuwabara grumbled. "She was looking at you like you were some kinda goblin or something."

"That...it was nothing," Kurama spoke softly. He knew she was still upset about the other day, when he had walked in on her coming out of the shower. That was probably why she hadn't even spoken a word to him. But there were more important things on his mind right now. The mystery of the Kuwabara family was starting to unravel for him, but the more he learned, the less he wanted to know. As he sat on the bed, his mind repeatedly pondered the words Kuwabara had said. And he could feel a reluctant clarity running over the words Shizuru had spoken as she stepped out the door.

"Last thing I need is to lose another one."

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Botan fell back onto her bed with a sigh of exasperation. She had tried to track down Hiei again, but to no avail. He just didn't want to be there with her, she guessed. Trying to fight back tears that threatened to well up, she tried instead to turn her mind to other questions. Where had Hiei been last night? And why was he so tired this afternoon?

The boys had already left by this point. She had seen them off from Koenma's office. They had to be in Makai by now, which meant Hiei was gone. She hadn't even gotten to say goodbye to him; she'd been too torn up by his coldness before.

"Hiei..." her eyes began to close, and she felt as if she would cry. She tried to fight back the sadness that was threatening to grow, but she couldn't feel anything other than the despair that Hiei's coldness had given her. What if it was a lie? What if he really didn't care? And where had he–

"OW!" She stubbed her left side into something as she tried to roll over in her bed. Something hard had jammed into her, and while the distraction was appreciated, the pain was not. In an angry blur, she threw the covers off her bed, demanding with her eyes to know what had just–

...was that...no, it couldn't be. Her eyes fell on the piece of wood laying in her bed, placed where she would be certain to find it. But this couldn't be right, she had lost it. She had lost it where no one could find it. Her precious oar had fallen into the swamp, it was gone for good, she'd thought.

Maybe it was another one, a different oar...she turned it over in her hands, trying to figure it out. But no, there was her name, engraved just above the base of the flat chunk in tiny, gold script. This was her oar, the one she'd grown to love like a second arm in the time since she'd become a grim reaper. But how?

The oar had fallen into the swamp. It had been gone, and the Forbidden Swamp of Makai was constantly shifting and changing. Not even considering the creatures that lurk through that horrible place, the murky waters could have moved it anywhere. And that stupid swamp was at least three miles across; it would have taken all night to–

All night. She remembered the weary look in his eyes. The tired, irritable attitude he had spoken to her with. She remembered her own question, where had he been last night. And as she looked down at her favorite oar resting in her hands, cleaned and polished for her, she felt the tears starting to return to her eyes. The despair had left, and now she was left with a tingle running through her heart. She sighed, feeling a smile starting to grow. "Oh, Hiei. What am I going to do with you?"

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"What's the word?" The demon known as Kitrone rested in a tree. Her sharp claws gripped the wood as she sat pressed against the main body, her right leg sitting atop her left on the lofty branch. "They take the bait yet or not?"

"Yes," the woman below her grinned. "They're going for it now. Last I heard, the idiot detective, his pet fool, and the demon traitor have just gotten themselves together at the hole into Makai. It won't be long now, and then you can put your plan into fruition."

"Very good," Kitrone smiled, as she looked over her left claw. The index fingernail was growing too long. She'd have to take care of that. "Lord Tsarakino will be very pleased to hear this. But what about Kurama? He's not going with them?"

"No," the raven-haired woman sighed. "Kurama has elected to stay behind. I believe they may suspect something, but I can't say for certain just what. Koenma has chosen not to entrust me with that knowledge, of course. But don't worry. Kurama should be a minor oversight for one such as your master. I was very impressed to hear of his...unique talents."

"As you well should be," a voice spoke from behind the woman. Whirling around in surprise, she found herself coming face to face with a girl, only eleven years old. The girl was dressed in a blue school uniform; she looked as though she had just come straight from an elementary school. "Sorry for the embarrassing child, but I didn't have much to pick from that was within walking distance. Do me a favor and try a meadow closer to the city next time."

The woman took a moment, looking down at the girl, before she finally realized just what the little girl was talking about. "Oh...you must be Lord Tsarakino! I've heard so much about you. I guess it's true what everyone's saying about you, isn't it? You jump from body to body? The whole palace is in an uproar over that stunt you pulled during the ogre rebellion."

The girl's eyes glowed a flash of green suddenly, and before the woman realized what was happening, she felt something touching her mind. Her own eyes flashed the same green glow, and the little girl suddenly screamed in terror. But the sound was cut short fast, when the demon Kitrone fell from the tree and wrapped a claw over the girl's mouth. "Sorry, little one, but I can't have you alerting anyone nearby. Don't worry, Yoshi's just taking a short trip. He'll be back soon enough."

The woman fell to her knees, grabbing at her head, but it did her no good. Yoshi was inside her body, inside her mind, clawing and scratching through every piece of information he could find inside her. She knew they would be testing her, to find where her loyalties lie, but she hadn't realized it would be this...severe. Yoshi was literally reading her thoughts and motives, picking his way through her brain...there was no deceiving a test like this. She knew, if she had come with deception in mind, she would not be walking away from this. Fortunately for her, the request was genuine. Yoshi could see that well enough as he read through her memories. There was no desire for betrayal in her mind.

Soon, the presence faded, and the little girl's eyes flashed green again. Kitrone released her once Yoshi was back in control, and he rubbed her throat for a moment to try and clear it. "Stupid little girl," he muttered through her voice. "Now I have to suffer her stupid dry throat."

The woman started to pick herself up off the ground, her mind still reeling from what had happened. She couldn't even bring herself to speak; Yoshi had definitely done a number over on her. Now she understood what had left Botan so thoroughly traumatized; that kind of forced intrusion on a woman as independent as her, without anything to gain from it as this woman had, must have been terrible.

"So how is it?" Kitrone asked. "Does she pass? Or do I gut this one too, like the other idiots who tried to trick us."

"No," Yoshi smiled with the little girl's lips. "No, this one gets to stay. In fact, I think I might even have a use for her. She's close enough to the palace that she can get me information, and she may come in handy if we ever need a spirit to play against Koenma. And she does hate that idiot toddler, doesn't she?" His question was posed more towards the woman than Kitrone.

"Yes, sir," the woman nodded her head. "That stupid child simply doesn't give me the respect I deserve. He's too busy coddling to his gang of hoodlums to give a damn about anyone else in the palace."

Yoshi smiled when he heard the woman's anger. He knew she would definitely come in handy, even if she was needlessly blunt about the way she handled things. "Very good," he smiled. "This should be the start of a beautiful relationship. Welcome to Tomorrow, Megumi."


	23. Chapter 22: Forest of Lost Souls

**Chapter 22: Forest of Lost Souls**

The leaves rustled in the dark, carrying the twisted sounds of death rippling through the forest. Strange howls could be heard washing through the branches, and every so often, the branches would ripple with a new hunger even more horrific than the last. "Well, mates," a strong voice spoke with a thick, accented voice, "Looks like we're 'ere." The man sighed, dropping from his feet and slamming his back against the wall as he fell. "Ah need a drink. Y'all feel free to start without me, 'til I git back on m'feet."

The man stood tall, towering over his partners when he was on his feet, but he much preferred the position on his bum. A blue mohawk, so bright it rivaled Botan's hair color, ran down his back before being tied with red bands into two long ponytails. A green line was drawn horizontally across the center face, crossing his nose and drawing attention away from his scraggly, unshaven facial hair.

The man wore a wool jacket wrapped in blue cloth, that he kept closed in the front, but the tufts of wool could not be concealed around the edges, especially the neckhole. Green pants and boots covered in wool around the legs but left with only leather around the feet completed the ensemble; the man was dressed for comfort, not for efficiency.

"Oh!" The little boy was next to step through the trees, walking into the grassy meadow before the four of them. Whining the moment he saw the man, the boy grumbled. "You never take anything seriously! How are we supposed to win the next tournament if all you do is sit there and drink?"

The boy looked like he was dressed for a circus. Not even three feet tall, he wore blue jeans and white sneakers, as if going to his first day of school. Tufts of brown hair could be seen underneath his bright cap, that was partitioned into eight vertical lines, trading off between red and yellow. His shirt was red, with yellow sleeves, and he wore a small, green pouch on his right side, held by a green strap around his shoulder and neck.

Rinku and Chuu, the sole survivors of Team Rokuyukai from the Dark Tournament, had always had quite the brotherly rivalry running between them. Chuu drew on his power to transform alcohol into energy within his body, and had mastered the art of drunken boxing. Expecting a sparring match now that they had come to this meadow, he wanted to get a good drink going to warm up.

"We're not starting anything," the third voice spoke. This voice was calmer, and surprisingly gentle even as it carried a hint of power within it. Dressed in light blue pants made from the finest silk, with a dark blue vest with a sky blue toga over it, crafted of the same material, this man looked as though he came from a rather decent bit of money. A belt kept his toga down, buckled with a steel circle, but if the chainmail coming out the armholes of his vest and running down to his wrists was any indication, he was far from helpless. This man had green hair, with light blue eyes, but only the bangs that came down in frigid spikes and covered the left side of his face could be made out; the rest of his hair was frozen to his head, and its color had vanished beneath the ice.

The ice master Touya walked forward into the clearing, casting his eyes ahead. "We didn't come here to practice, Chuu. We came here for Her. If the legends are true, then Her blessings should give us everything we need to win the next tournament. With Her power, not a demon or apparition should be able to stand in our way."

"Uh...who?" Chuu rubbed his little finger into his right ear, trying to unclog his hearing. "Maybe ah'm jus' a lit'le confused, but who's this 'Her' ya keep yammerin' about?"

"You boy came from Reikai," the fourth voice spoke, "so we kin excuse yer ignorance." The fourth sailed overhead, sitting crosslegged in the air twenty feet above the ground. "Ain't a demon in Makai hasn't heard of Her, nope there ain't. But you sure this pile o' rocks is what we're lookin' for, Touya? Looks like a demon party game to me!"

Jin, the levitating wind master, was easily the least serious of the group. With a thick mane of red hair that, while not going far past his neck, ran out around his head like a loose covering, Jin's long ears could barely escape his hair's cover. A single horn rose from his head, and red eyes glimmered out of his skull. He wore just the loose, white pants, that looked about six sizes too big for him but were kept up with a blue belt, and two white straps that crossed each other, making an X over his bare chest, before wrapping around his back.

"I'm certain," Touya nodded his head as he stepped forward. Before them in the clearing lay a cobble of stones, resting in the middle of the glade. A trench of water surrounded the rocks, which upon first glance appeared to have little meaning. But when one looked closer, they would see the layout of the rocks, pitch black as the darkest night and one laid after another to make a chain, connected by steel bonds between each rock, over a monument of cement. "This is Her grave."

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DING-DONG

The Kuwabara residence had been quiet since Kazuma had left. Shizuru had expected to get some rest, and to wait for Sakyo's return. But alas, that was not to be, as Shizuru answered the door to find a frightened girl standing on the other side. Her friend Keiko had her eyes to the ground, and she looked as if she were about to cry. "You okay?" Shizuru asked, knowing this wasn't going to end fast.

"I think..." Keiko shook her head, then tried to bring words to her voice. "I think something's wrong with me, but I don't know what. I don't...I don't know."

Shizuru sighed, removing the cigarette from her mouth as she stepped aside. "C'mon in, we'll get you something to drink." She knew she was going to regret this, but inside, she just couldn't sit back and watch Keiko lose it.

It wasn't long before they were seated at the short table in the living room. Keiko looked as though she were on the verge of tears, and from the conversations of the boys, she had a feeling she knew why. Keiko had been strong, but she was more afraid than she was willing to let Yusuke know. "I think something's wrong with me," she spoke quietly. "I've been having these...these nightmares, and I don't even know what they're about. And everyone acts like they know something that they're not telling me, but every time I ask them, they try to pretend like it's no big deal."

Shizuru sighed, knowing why the boys were keeping Keiko out of the loop but also knowing the kind of worry that not knowing would do to her. Sometimes the mystery was more painful than the truth. "Look, kid, I can't say I know what's going on. But I will admit, something about you does feel kinda different. I can't say what, but it almost feels like your spirit's being prepared for something."

"What do you mean?" Keiko was starting to get even more frightened than she was before. "What is it...what are you talking about?'

Shizuru sighed. She didn't know how to explain what she was feeling, and she certainly didn't have all the information the boys did. "Look, why don't you let Kurama explain this. He can do it better than I can."

"Kurama?" Keiko blinked her eyes, confused.

"Yeah," Shizuru growled towards the hallway, "If he stops stalking you from a distance and starts acting like a man." There was a moment's silence, as her words hung in the air, before the door to Kuwabara's room slid open.

Kurama stepped out from the room, with a defeated expression on his face. Shizuru had caught him, as he should have known someone with her psychic abilities would have. "I'm afraid," he started, "that I don't know what's going on. I can't help fill you in."

"Then why are you following Keiko?" Shizuru narrowed her eyes, unwilling to put up with any bullshit at this point. "You know more than I do, and I didn't feel you here until she was. You're watching her and I want to know why. More importantly, she deserves to know why."

Kurama's eyes fell on the teary-eyed mess that was Keiko Yukimura, and with a reluctant sigh, he opened his mouth. "There's something after you, Keiko. We don't know what; only Kuwabara has been able to sense it, and even then he said it was hard. As if the creature wasn't even there. We've been doing our best to keep track of it, but Kuwabara is still the only person who has even seen it."

The truth frightened Keiko even more than the silence had. Kurama took a deep breath. "Koenma is already looking into this strange demon. We should have answers soon enough." He hoped so, at least. "That's why Yusuke and the others have left me behind. Don't worry. Nothing's going to happen to you." As he spoke these words, he could feel a nagging sensation of guilt welling up in the back of his mind. He knew he couldn't truly assure such things. He only hoped he was right.

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"I'm certain," Touya nodded his head. "This is Her grave. Nightmare." A cold chill washed through Touya and Jin at the very sound of her voice. Both knew the legends, the rumors, and the myths. The story of Nightmare was known all across Makai.

"Who's this Nightmare gal?" Chuu asked. Not being from Makai, their stories and legends were mostly unknown to him. Touya chuckled at the question; it had been a long time since he'd heard it.

"Nightmare," Touya began with a shiver, "was the first queen of Makai." Kneeling before the pile of rocks, and the grave beneath them, his eyes fell on the shape of the rocks, the way they were connected together. "A huge, black snake, not the most impressive of shapes but it was the one she carried. According to the legends, the demon queen Nightmare was the first to unite the demon clans of Makai. Under her charismatic guide, demons of all shapes and sizes worked together, and her very presence was enough to amplify their demonic power. She brought together the clans for one purpose: to bring war to Reikai. And she very nearly succeeded in wiping them out."

"Whoa," Chuu's eyes boggled. "Sounds like a right nasty bitch. So what happened?" Now he was interested. He hadn't heard any of this in Reikai; he supposed they didn't like to talk much of their failures.

"It happened a long time ago, before written history had found its way to Ningenkai. This grave is the only evidence left that Nightmare ever existed in Makai. I'm sure Reikai has their own records, but over here, this is all we have. As I said, Nightmare very nearly won. Legend has it, she used and deceived a young prince by the name of Yama." When Touya saw the surprise on Chuu and Rinku's faces, he nodded his head. "Yes, that Yama."

"You have to be joking," Rinku whispered in awe. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Prince Yama...that had to have been eons ago.

Touya continued his story, as he hoisted one of the chained stones in his right hand. "According to the legends, Nightmare was finally destroyed by the very first Spirit Detective Reikai has ever had. They say in the final battle that he broke her body into a thousand pieces, which were scattered across this very forest. No one knows what happened to her spirit, though. Some believe it was destroyed. No one knows for sure."

Chuu lifted an eyebrow at Touya's story. "Wait a tick, wouldn't 'er soul 'ave just gone through Reikai, like any other?"

"Not Nightmare," Touya explained. "She was too widely loved by the demons that worshipped her. The demons employed in the punishment dimensions of Reikai's afterlife system were no exception to that rule; to send her there would be to set her free. And any other would be to reward her for what she'd done, and I have few doubts a demon as intelligent as Nightmare reputedly was would have found a way to escape."

Chuu whistled. "That is a right nasty piece of work, ain't she? So what're we doin' 'ere? Takin' a trip down mem'ry lane?"

"No," Touya closed his eyes as he spoke. "We're here to see if the rumors are true. They call this place the Forest of Lost Souls. Rumor has it, those who venture into this place never venture back out. Nightmare's black, twisted heart was buried at this monument, and some believe that her spirit still haunts these woods, devouring any who fall into her grip."

Rinku inched closer to Chuu now, his eyes casting into the shadows around them. "Wait, we're here to get eaten by a big snake!"

"No," Touya said. "I believe there's something more at work here. Something–hey...that's funny."

"Hmm?" Jin perked up from the air above the group. "Sor'y, havin' too much fun list'nen to the storytime I was. Somethin' goin' up that shouldn' be in the air?"

"No," Touya's voice was cautious now, as he started to move the stones aside. "Something isn't down that should be." Jin floated over Touya, lowering himself back down towards the ground when he heard Touya's confused words. Before long, he could see what had Touya so freaked. When the stones were moved aside, it was not hard to tell; Nightmare's grave had been disturbed. A hole was cracked in the cement, and someone had dug into the dirt below. The demon's heart had been buried here; was that what whoever had done this had been after?

Before they had time to ponder, voices sounded from the woods around them. "Flesh. Eye. Blood. Heart. Flesh. Eye. Blood. Heart. Flesh. Eye. Blood. Heart. Flesh. Eye. Blood. Heart." The voices were moving through the woods, coming closer, and they kept chanting the same words over and over again.

"Well, this is gettin' a right bit crazy, ain't it?" Chuu was on his feet now, with his fists up in the event he needed them. He could almost see the source of the voices moving towards them. A flash of brown, moving through the woods.

"Flesh. Eye. Blood. Heart. Flesh. Eye. Blood. Heart. Flesh. Eye. Blood. Heart."

"I think we should go," Rinku tugged on the back of Chuu's shirt. There was no denying it; he was frightened. They were in a place they definitely shouldn't have been and now something was coming. Maybe it was the spirit of Nightmare. Maybe she was coming to devour them.

"Flesh. Eye. Blood. Heart. Flesh. Eye. Blood. Heart. Flesh. Eye. Blood. Heart."

"This is not going to end well," Touya whispered to himself. He knew what was coming; whatever it was, it was coming to this grave. It could be whatever had dug up the grave; but then, for all he knew, it could be the Shinobi come to reclaim him and Jin. Certainly didn't sound like Shinobi though.

"Flesh. Eye. Blood. Heart. Flesh. Eye. Blood. Heart. Flesh. Eye. Blood. Heart."

Jin dropped back towards Rinku and Chuu, preparing for the coming fight. He certainly wasn't going to go down without a fight, and he knew better than to expect that whatever was chanting these words was friendly. "C'mon, let's give 'em a pop then."

As Touya backed towards the others, the chanting suddenly stopped. Silence fell through the meadow, an eerie quiet that displaced all other sounds. There was silence for a minute, and the trees stood motionless. Touya knew better than to let his guard down; they were caught, and he knew it.

WHIFFWHIFFWHIFFWHIFFWHIFF

Before he knew what was happening, they came. Slipping out of the trees, never turning away from them, one right after another until the four fighters were completely encircled by what had to be at least thirty of these strange figures. Brown cloaks and hoods concealed them from view; whoever these people were, they were very serious, and didn't take lightly to strangers.

"Why are you here?" A voice snarled from in front of Touya. One of the figures, larger than most of the others, stepped forward to greet them. It lowered its hood, revealing the brown, scaled snout of a reptilian demon, and nasty, yellow eyes that looked as though they were carving holes in Touya with his glare.

"I don't..." Touya cleared his throat. "We came to pay our respects to Her grave."

The demon turned his eyes back to the grave, before returning his look to Touya. The rock snake was still off the grave; Touya had no doubts this creature had seen the hole. "The heart," the beast snarled. "Nightmare's heart."

"Looks like trouble, mate." Chuu kept his fists up, watching the circle carefully. "Looks like 'bout thirty of 'em. That's a good seven er eight fer th' each of us."

Touya raised his left hand to calm Chuu. He wanted to see if he could avoid a conflict, before he made any plans to fight. "The grave was like that when we arrived. Someone's taken the heart; I didn't see it, I don't know who."

"You know, then," The demon snarled, and Touya got the feeling he'd said the wrong thing. "You know too much, friend. I'm afraid I can't permit you to leave these woods."

Touya backed into Jin, Rinku, and Chuu, raising his fists. "Was worth a shot. Time for plan B."


	24. Chapter 23: The Black Snake Prophecy

**Chapter Twenty-Three: The Black Snake Prophecy**

High in the Mountains of Wrath, in the world of Makai, a black and swirling vortex opened in midair. Three figures appeared, first illuminated in the Pseudospace, then coming into view. Yusuke Urameshi, Kazuma Kuwabara, and the demon Hiei appeared from the dark abyss of Pseudospace. The vortex was gone as soon as it had come, leaving them alone in this horrific place.

An immediate shiver ran through Kuwabara's body as he looked around the rocky terrain they had appeared in. Between the jagged rocks he could see in the distance, the dark gray spires standing up from the mountain, and the nasty, brown color of the jagged land beneath their feet, this was hardly the most welcoming place he could enter.

Yusuke yawned, stretching his arms up for a few seconds, before he reached his right hand down to scratch his side. "Man, that was a long ride. Remind me to bug Koenma about finding us a faster route. That felt like it took forever."

Hiei nodded his head, taking a few steps forward as he did. "We can't afford to spend that long in pseudospace; an entire chapter went by without us so much as making an appearance."

"Uh...what?" Yusuke and Kuwabara exchanged blank looks, then both focused their eyes on Hiei. Confusion was evident on their faces.

Hiei's eyes turned back to Yusuke and Kuwabara, and for a moment they were locked in a staredown. "What?" he asked, with a menacing glare in his voice.

"Nothing," Yusuke shrugged. "So, Three Eyes, care to tell us where we are?" The barren landscape leading down into the foothills was already beginning to grate at his eyes. Between the gloomy red sky with lightning flashing through it and the dark, gray spires he could see farther down the mountain, the only recognizable feature Yusuke could identify was a blackened, dead stick of a tree sticking up forty feet to his left.

Hiei didn't even hesitate to speak, as he walked ahead on the path leading down the mountain. "Judging by the view, I would say we are at the beginnings of the Mountains of Wrath. The Forest of Lost Souls is at the bottom, from which begins the Forbidden Swamp. If the fool I beat information out of the last time we were here is to be believed, then the enemy's lair rests in the Plains of Regret, on the opposite end of the forest as the swamp."

Kuwabara shuddered, following after Hiei. "You guys aren't real big on attractive sounding names, are you? I think I'd rather go after the Forbidden Swamp after hearing all those names."

"The reason it's forbidden," Hiei snarled, "is that idiots and fools like yourself that wander into the swamp are devoured by demons of a magnitude you couldn't even imagine." He stopped looking back at Yusuke and Kuwabara, trying to express to them exactly what it was they were walking into this time. "If you think that this will be like Maze Castle, you can relieve yourself of such self-important delusions. Maze Castle was surrounded by a barrier wall erected by the Reikai government; the idiots and fools who made their home there were the only demons that could get in. This is Makai, home to creatures of such power that they even the mighty Toguro Brothers would have been outclassed in the darker realms.

Your world is lucky, detective; Reikai has walls and barriers in place to ensure that only the smallest and weakest of demons can make it through their defenses. Such fortune is not present here." Hiei turned back, looking down the mountains at the forest below, and the spires standing up from it. A hint of reminiscence was evident in his voice, and he almost sounded happy to be back. "This is Makai, the demon world, at its most furious. Do not let your guard down in this place, ever, or it will be the last thing you ever do." With those words, he walked on, leaving Yusuke and Kuwabara with his words of warning.

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CRACK

The tree splintered the moment Chuu's back was smashed against it. Standing above him was a powerful demon, the one that had spoken the moment before. Still encloaked in his brown robe, he lifted Chuu by the fur collar of his jacket, opening his jaws wide to bite.

Frost blew in from behind the demon, freezing up his robe and forcing him to stumble. This attack from behind, by the ice master Touya, managed to free Chuu enough to let him grasp the demon's robe and hoist him overhead. "Was a fine ride," Chuu grinned, "now le' me retun th' favor!" Without another word, he bashed the crocodile's head into the tree to his right, smashing him down against the ground.

Jin whisked past overhead, with three of the brown robes in his pursuit. Whipping around in midair, he looked back towards them while flying flat on his back, closing one eye and sticking out his tongue to provoke them. He couldn't see the tree behind him, and as the concealed creatures closed in on him, he drew closer and closer to it until, at the last second, he disappeared completely.

The lead brown robe smashed headfirst into the tree, while Jin reappeared above the other two, his speed carrying him faster than their eyes could register as he twirled with each in hand, spinning them bodily around himself and letting go to send them flying down into the dirt and wood below.

The battle had raged for almost twenty minutes now, and Touya could feel it starting to wear on him. These freakish robed guys just KEPT COMING, every time he took out one, he could swear that two more appeared to replace it. "ENOUGH!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, already frustrated by this army of demons. Frost emanated from his body, smothering the grass and trees and completely covering the meadow where Nightmare's grave lay.

Jin stopped in midair, wrapping his hands over his arms and shivering. "Mind warnin' a bloke a'fore's you do that, next time?"

Robes froze into ice from the blast of ice, freezing nearly all of the demon horde in their places. Chuu guarded himself by grabbing a tree branch above him, and Rinku was already well off the ground, held up by one of his yo-yos. "Touya!" Rinku whined. "Don't cut it so close!"

Touya smirked, watching the frozen demons struggling to move. The crocodile was the first to break free, which neither Touya nor Chuu was surprised about. He was clearly the leader, they had gotten that impression just from talking to him. Touya curled his hand, using his mastery over cold to freeze the air within his palm. As the air froze, it moved outwards, creating a blade of solid ice in his hand. "Chuu, if we rush him together, we should be able to at least take him down."

Chuu nodded his head, wiping blood from his mouth before letting his feet carry him to the side a bit. Getting his stagger going again, he knew he had to do this quick. More would be coming, of course, the stream seemed endless. They needed to get out of here and the needed to do it now. "Jin, grab Rinku and get outta 'ere. We'll follow when we can."

Lowering his sword to strike, Touya lunged forward towards the crocodile. However, before he could get so much as four steps forward, a powerful surge of energy struck him from behind. He heard a noise, a horrible shrieking noise attacking his ears and forcing him to his knees. The noise drove on, shattering several of the weaker demons as they stood frozen on the battlefield, and sending Chuu offguard.

Jin rose higher into the sky to escape the noise. His height gave him an advantage; he could see what was attacking the others on the ground, and it wasn't pretty. Or, to be more specific, it was pretty, but it definitely wasn't good. A woman, dressed in a black kimono similar to those worn by the Grim Reapers of Reikai, stood with her right hand facing the battlefield. A snarling mouth was evident on her palm, something she definitely hadn't been born with. The mouth was creating the horrible shriek that was debilitating ally and enemy alike.

Jin knew he had to strike. Swirling his right arm in circles to build up a good whirlwind for his Tornado Fist technique, a move that creates a force of wind so powerful around the arm that it forms a tornado to add more power to his physical attack, he dropped from the sky and flew straight for the woman.

"Le'ggo of my friends, you squawkin' ol' crow!" Jin yelled through the air as he flew, though his voice was muffled by the horrible shriek. Drawing closer, the woman didn't even see him before he smashed his Tornado Fist straight into the left side of her face. Pouring the full force of the tornado into her, the woman was sent flying until her head smashed against the tree behind her. Shaking off his fist, Jin didn't need the silence of her shriek's absence to know she was down and out. She was definitely unconscious after a blow like that. For all he knew, she might even be dead.

"GUYS!" Before Jin had too much time to flatter himself over the shot that saved the team, Rinku's voice was heard yelling through the tree. With his throat clutched in the left claw of the crocodile demon, Rinku was now at the mercy of the enemy.

"Rinku!" Chuu snarled, pulling himself from the kneel he had been put in by the woman's shriek. "You 'arm him, scaley, and ah'll make mah'self some new boots outta yer hide." He was now regretting not bringing one of his stronger drinks with him. He hadn't expected to be ambushed by the weird robed brigade.

Rinku slipped one of his yo-yo's from his pocket, trying to finger it, but to no avail. The croc ripped the yo-yo from his grasp, crushing it in the palm of his right claw before letting the dust and pieces fall to the ground. "This is our territory," the crocodile snarled. "You are not invited here, and there is nothing you can do to stop the prophecy."

"What the blimey hell are you blabberin' about!" Chuu yelled in frustration. "You attacked us!"

"You will come with us," the beast snarled, "or I will break this child in half. If you make me ask again, I will break you all in half."

Rinku struggled in the beast's grip. Trying to speak, he found himself slightly strangled by its powerful, brutish claw. "G...gu...h...lp..." He could see Chuu's eyes, knew his old friend was trying to find a way to help him, but he knew the beast would crush him without a moment's hesitation. However, what scared him the most was the cold look in Touya's eyes. Fear welled up within him when he saw that; he knew what it meant. Touya had already marked him off as dead.

Touya backed towards Chuu, and Jin slowly dropped towards Touya. "Gale?" Jin whispered, though he knew the answer without having to ask.

"Gale," Touya whispered back. This was his favorite technique, one he had spent ages practicing with Jin to master. Channeling his energy to match Jin's, he prepared his part of the technique, the ice.

Chuu was still trying to think of a way to get Rinku away from the crocodile when they struck. Jin and Touya, channeling both of their energies into the same space to create a powerful whirlwind of ice. "FROZEN GALE!" they yelled at once, their energies fusing together to create a powerful vortex in the center of the meadow, drawing in air from all around and sending out a powerful burst of frozen energy in all directions.

Rinku's eyes widened as he saw the technique, before he felt the ice beginning to cover his body. The crocodile backed away quickly, bounding away from the gale with Rinku in tow, more an afterthought than a hostage, as Rinku's head and body smacked against the rocks as the demon took off, held loosely in one of his claws.

Finally, the crocodile released his grip on Rinku entirely when he bounded after the woman that lay unconscious against the tree. Put down by one of Jin's powerful Tornado Fists after having very little training save for what she had taught herself in the service of Koenma, the croc knew that his masters would be very displeased if he left her for dead. So instead, he released his grip on Rinku to grab the woman up in his arms and carry her away. He hated to retreat like this, but that Frozen Gale technique was simply too much for him to face right now; he had no desire to have his scales frozen solid. "Come on, Megumi," he snarled to the unconscious thing as he carried her in her arms. "You shouldn't have even gotten involved."

Rinku struggled his way back towards the others, but the Frozen Gale was in his path. As it threw off more ice, it started to move as a tornado, wavering through the trees and whipping frost in all directions. Rather than uproot the forest as an ordinary tornado would, the Frozen Gale instead settled for icing everything it ran over, leaving frost and cold in its wake.

"C'mon, let's get you up and outta 'ere," Rinku heard Jin's voice from above. Before he could respond, he felt Jin lifting him up by the back collar of his shirt, and he yelped from the return to the position.

"Oh, NOT FUNNY, guys!" Rinku yelled as Jin carried him up and over the forest. He could've been killed and he knew it. "Don't attack when I'm in the line of fire, idiots!" Down below, Touya and Chuu had already disappeared. Rinku could only guess they had headed back towards the edge of the woods, and the safety that lay on the other side.

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"Then you failed?" A woman dressed in a black robe glared down at the crocodile on the ground. "Lord Tsarakino left you with one order, Tarvus. You were to ensure that no one who witnesses the Queen's grave leaves alive. And you couldn't even do THAT right."

Tarvus knelt on the cold, stone floor of the abandoned place of worship. Candles placed along the walls dimly lit the surroundings, with a tattered and shredded red carpet leading from the door to the pedestal. Two steps lead up to the pedestal where the woman in the black robe stood behind a wooden podium. A parchment rested on the podium, one that every member of their order would fight to the death to protect.

The woman snarled, looking down at the parchment. "We need to keep those Reikai fools running after Fjerin's slack-jawed operation for just a little longer. You know that. Why do you think we've gone to so much trouble, Tarvus? We need just a little more time to prepare. All the pieces are in place now, but we can't strike until the opportunity presents itself."

Tarvus closed his eyes, unwilling to speak out against the woman that was swiftly becoming Lord Tsarakino's right hand. "Yes, master," was all he said.

"Good," the woman smiled, pulling back the hood of her black robes. Her silver hair, released from the hood of the robe, shimmered lightly against her demonic, red flesh. Two horns rose from her head, curling together to create a V shape over her forehead. And covering her ears, there were two black nubs, from which a black, glass visor came out and ran across her eyes, concealing them from view. Lady Kitrone had gained much respect from her work with Lord Tsarakino recently. In this place, she was practically his right hand.

Smiling, she turned her attention back down to the parchment on the podium. "It's almost time, Tarvus. Can you feel it? Lord Tsarakino's plans are finally coming into fruition; it's almost time. He's really going to pull it off."

Drawing in a deep breath, she began to read from the prophecy, reading the words of the parchment that their secret order had dedicated their lives to. Just a single passage for now, to remind them of what they were doing here. She hoped it would remind Tarvus of what they were trying to accomplish, to ensure that he kept his mind on the goal.

_The Flesh, formed of a vessel of innocence, shall be Her hand and guide Her back._

_The Eye, echoing its shadows of demonic power, shall open the way and carve the passage for Her._

_The Blood, the pure, sanctified blood of a human psychic, shall lubricate Her entrance and sanctify the Flesh for Her return._

_And the Heart, torn from the Queen herself, shall join with the Body, the Eye, and the Blood, and make them Hers._

_Flesh, Eye, Blood, Heart, Flesh, Eye, Blood, Heart, Flesh, Eye, Blood, Heart_

_The Four will become One, and the vessel shall be made ready. And the rivers shall run red with blood, for none will be spared the wrath of the Demon Queen.  
_


	25. Chapter 24: Tsarakino's Fruition

Sorry for the lateness in updating again. As much as I'd love to give you some overblown excuse, the truth is simply that I have a special someone in my life now, that's eating up most of my free time.

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**Chapter Twenty-Four: Tsarakino's Fruition**

"NO!" The doors to the throne room of Tomorrow's Sanctuary blew open, slamming hard against the thick, stone walls and echoing throughout the castle. The demon Fjerin stormed in, anger raging against his features as he stomped towards the throne. "This isn't possible...my demon..."

A few minutes before, he had gone to check on his Black Mist Demon, a creature of immense size and power capable of generating his vaunted Black Mist. The entire creature had vanished overnight, and Fjerin couldn't understand how that could happen. His plans were falling into ruin before they could even begin, and he didn't understand. Who could have stolen something of such size and magnitude out from under his and Yoshi's noses?

In his rage, he didn't even see the figure lurking in the dark, watching his movements. Only two days had passed since Spirit Detective Yusuke Urameshi and his group had entered into Makai, and he knew they couldn't be here yet. He believed, perhaps foolishly, that this whole compound was still under his command.

As he stormed to the throne, his eyes fell on the space beside it. He was eager to check, to make sure his other important items had not been taken, and to his horror, he could see that they were. The jar containing the stolen Jagan was missing, and now he was horrified. Without his demon, without his Jagan, what was he to do? "ATSUKO!" He called to the woman he kept in shackles beside his throne. Maybe she had seen something.

"ATSUKO!" His eyes turned, and fear began to grip his heart. For she, too, was missing from his throne room. "...what the...how..." This didn't make sense. What was happening? In his shock, he failed to notice the figure looming behind him starting to come closer, and before he knew what hit him, two blades ripped forward through his chest.

A voice whispered in the dark behind him. A voice he had become so familiar with, that of his favorite 'child', as he called them. The voice of Kitrone, as she held him stuck here on her retractable wristblades. "Lord Tsarakino expresses his deepest regrets. He wanted to be here for this, so he could see the look on your face, idiot."

Fjerin coughed, blood spewing from his mouth as he struggled on her blades. "...Kit...rone...why..." His mind wracked with confusion, fear gnawing at his insides, and agony tearing at the parts she had ripped through, he searched for an answer, some explanation that would explain why she had betrayed him.

"You have served your purpose," Kitrone spoke with a confidence he had never heard in her voice. Rather than the meek pawn she had always been for him, he now heard a strength that he had never heard from her. The voice of the Priestess of Nightmare. "You've done your job well, but you are simply of no further use to Her. You are a loose end, Fjerin. Consider yourself fortunate that She allowed you to live for as long as she did."

"...s...she..." Fjerin felt himself fading, as his blood dripped down Kitrone's arms. He knew he was going, but he wanted answers. He wanted one last answer, before the inevitable took him. "...who..."

As the blades pulled back, allowing Fjerin to fall to the floor, there was silence. The demon lay on the ground, bleeding and dying, his eyes staring up at Kitrone, asking, pleading for one last answer. And when he heard it, he knew. He knew, without question, that everything he had worked for these past years had been nothing but a joke, a simple ruse by Her to keep Her enemies distracted. Those words, he knew so well and as he died, he felt anger at himself for not seeing it before. The last words ever to grace his ears sent him into a death of betrayal, not slain by the sword of the enemy as he long believed he would be, but taken from within. He would not die a warrior's death. He died that of a pawn.

"Long live the Queen."

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Two days had passed since Yusuke had left the human world, and Keiko had found herself in the company of Shizuru each day. Late afternoon had now fallen, and she was on her way home from Shizuru's place for another night of horrible nightmares and terror.

Kurama followed from the rooftops, his eyes keeping a careful watch on Keiko. He wasn't exactly sure what he was watching for; he couldn't see the demon snake, and no one could see Tsarakino. He didn't know what to watch for, but he wouldn't let up his watch. If something happened, if ANYTHING happened, he would–

There! He saw it looming in the shadows as Keiko passed by. A figure stood in the darkness of the alleyway, monitoring Keiko's movements. Kurama moved with the swiftness of a fox, leaping silently down to the rooftop above, then crawling breathlessly to the side. Looking down into the alley, he saw the figure, though he could not yet see its face.

The figure kept its own watch on Keiko until she had passed, before it hustled off down the alley. Kurama knew something was up, and now he wanted to know what. Casting one last glance at Keiko, he went off in pursuit of her stalker, whisking across another rooftop to keep track of the running figure.

The figure ran out the other end of the alleyway, racing out onto the sidewalk. She passed into the crowd of people, moving in and out of the shops that could be found on this end. They were in the marketplace part of town, where numerous small shops and businesses could be found. A fun place to go for people who didn't want to go to the larger supermarkets and malls.

As the figure passed into the crowd, Kurama lost sight of her. He had seen the dark, black hair that she had, but there were several people in the crowd with black hair. Tossing his head back and forth, for a moment he thought he'd lost her. "Where did she go?" He had lost track of her now, and knew he would have to pursue on the ground of he was going to catch her. Dropping from the rooftop to the alley, he walked calmly out into the street, casting a nonchalant gaze around the street.

Watching the people pass by in ignorance, not one of them aware of the danger that lurked on the other side of the dimensional wall, the danger in Makai, Kurama felt a familiar sense of protective pity for them. They had no idea, as they went about their daily lives, of the–

There she is!

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"Keiko!" Keiko stopped, hearing her name called down the street behind her. Turning to look back, she saw Shizuru racing forward, running as fast as her legs would carry her. Dressed in a large, brown overcoat with two large pockets near the bottom, she ran down the sidewalk to catch up to her friend.

Keiko watched Shizuru run towards her, and inside, she felt the strangest chill beginning to wash over her. "Shizuru?" There was something in her eyes, something...alarming, but Keiko couldn't quite place what. She trusted Shizuru with her life; they had formed a sort of bond during the Dark Tournament, watching their boys fighting for their lives. But something inside her told her to run. Her intuition was screaming at her to go, that something was not right, that she needed to go.

"Hey, kid," Shizuru smiled, slowing her pace as she approached. "You forgot something back at my place. I thought you probably wouldn't want to lose it." Reaching into her coat pocket, she pulled a small, silver chain necklace out of her pocket, with an onyx snake medallion on it. Keiko's eyes fell on the black, carved snake, and another chill washed through her body.

"That's..." her eyes wouldn't leave that snake; for some reason she couldn't quite place, the sight terrified her. Every part of her being was frightened by the image of the black snake, and she couldn't place why. "That's not mine," she whispered, but as hard as she tried to hide her fear, her quivering voice betrayed her real emotions.

"Really?" Shizuru asked. "Huh. Not mine, either. Maybe it's Kurama's," she joked, but Keiko wasn't in the mood to laugh. She was very unsettled by all of this now, and her intuition was still screeching at her that she needed to get out of here. Where was Kurama? He was watching her, right? She was safe...nothing would happen to her so long as Kurama was watching her...right? "Well, as long as we're here, come over here for a second. I want to show you something."

Shizuru gripped Keiko's wrist, walking her towards the alleyway to her right. She had no way of knowing, but it was the same alley that her stalker had been monitoring her from. Keiko was terrified now, trying to wrench her hand free, but the grip that held it was too strong. It hurt, she realized to her own surprise. Shizuru was gripping her wrist hard enough to hurt it, and she knew now that something was terribly wrong; Shizuru was never this rough with her.

"Let go," Keiko tried to free her wrist, but to no avail. Shizuru had her now, and she knew she should have followed her intuition. She should have run away. "Who are you? Let me go!"

"Kid, what are you talking about?" Shizuru dragged Keiko into the alley. "You know who I am. Stop freaking out." Keiko looked into Shizuru's eyes, those familiar, brown eyes, and for a moment she almost believed it was really her in there. But she could feel a sense of malice coming from her friend, and as she felt herself surrounded by the close walls, in the dark where no one else would see, she suddenly realized that she was at Shizuru's mercy. Where was Kurama?

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There she is! The stalker had just run into a small diner, probably looking to get away from her pursuer. Kurama walked carefully across the street, his movements timed and his steps light, with the calm look of an ordinary teenage boy on his face. There was, of course, no sense looking like a freak. If there was one thing Kurama was truly a master of, it was pretending to be an ordinary human being.

Pushing open the door to the diner, Kurama cast his eyes back and forth through the place. The dark-haired woman would not be difficult to find in this small enclosure. She would probably be low in one of the booths, planning to hide. If he walked down the aisle and scanned carefully, he could– "Kurama, over here!" ...or perhaps she was sitting calmly two booths down, staring straight at him and calling his name.

Turning to walk down the aisle, his eyes recognized the woman instantly. Hers was a face he was all too familiar with, one he, like the rest of the team, had hoped to never see again. "Megumi," he addressed her as he approached, before taking a seat opposite her in the booth. "Is there a reason you've come here? I can't imagine Koenma would send you to spy on Keiko."

A glass of tea rested in front of Megumi, and she stirred it slowly with a small, plastic stick as she spoke. "I've got my own mission for coming here, Kurama. What I'm curious about, though, is you. Why are you here, instead of in Makai with the others? Yusuke didn't seriously leave you behind just to stalk his girlfriend, did he? Seems like a waste of manpower."

"Since when do you have any faith in my abilities?" Kurama asked carefully. "After all, as you have so thoroughly stated, I am not very capable of holding my own in combat, since I have chosen to live in a human form." He was well aware of Megumi's prejudices against each of them, and especially his own. He was lying, misleading her through her own prejudices. He didn't know why she was here, but any edge he could get was a good one.

Megumi sighed, rubbing her forehead. "This isn't about you, Kurama. This is about the team. Something's coming, something very bad, and one person alone can't handle it."

Megumi's words stroked Kurama's curiosity. "What do you know?" He asked her carefully, gauging her reaction for clues or hints as to why she was here.

Megumi sighed. "I know that nothing is going the way it should, Kurama. There are idiots in power handing the security of Reikai to fools and brutes. There are demons fighting amongst themselves for control of Makai, and there are billions of people here in the human world who have no idea what's coming."

Kurama's voice lowered to a cautious pitch, as he listened to Megumi's words. She didn't sound the dutiful lieutenant of Koenma. She sounded like she knew something beyond what she was letting on, and that made him more than a little suspicious. "And just what is coming?"

Sitting back in her booth, Megumi turned her head up towards the ceiling. "Things are going to change, Kurama. A big change is coming soon, and none of our three worlds are going to be the same when it's passed. It's funny, really. I always believed it was just a legend, a story for parents to tell their kids to make sure they behave. But it's real. All of it...the whole thing is real. It's...really, it's an honor to be able to take part in something this big. It's what I've always dreamed of."

Megumi was running on now, and Kurama was beginning to tire of the cryptic half-answers. "Megumi, please, what are you talking about? What's real?"

Megumi smiled, turning her head back down and looking at Kurama. The smile that crossed her face unsettled him, for he could see the malice in it. "I've already put my own talents to great use. Did you know that Reikai inspectors for the dimensional tunnels are willing to overlook large packages if they are properly threatened by a pissed off Grim Reaper? I didn't until just last night. Things are already moving, just as they need to. And truly, the best part of it all is the crux of the plan. So concerned about trying to head it off before it could come into completion, you boys handed him his victory by removing yourselves from the REAL prize. I knew you were too weak to stop it."

"Megumi..." Kurama's voice carried with it a more threatening tone now. Something was horribly wrong here. "Megumi, listen to me. I don't know what–" Kurama was interrupted by a sound that chilled his heart. A scream, coming from the alleyway he had followed Megumi out of, could be heard all the way to the diner. Leaping from his seat, he turned his head back in Keiko's direction, suddenly, horribly aware of what was happening here.

Megumi just smiled, stirring her tea once more. "And while you waste time here interrogating me, you have completely lost track of what you were supposed to be doing. Curiosity and suspicion can be quite the effective weapons, _human_. And so can THIS." Kurama turned to look back at Megumi just before the attack struck him. Raising her right hand, he saw a horrible mouth with sharp, gnashing teeth on her right palm. But before he could react, a terrible shriek howled out from the mouth, echoing through the diner and bringing the patrons to their knees from the agonizing sound. Kurama's hands wrapped over his ears, already starting to bleed due to his close proximity to the terrible shriek, as his mind struggled to find a way to shut it down.

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"What are you doing, Sakyo! Keiko hasn't done anything to you!" Shizuru raged inside her own mind, straining to take back control of her body. She had given it to Sakyo, believing his lies when he told her he wanted to spend more time with her. She had given it freely, and now she was struggling to get it back.

"Shut up," the voice responded, but the tone wasn't half as deep as Sakyo's alluring voice had been. "You've done your part well enough, Shizuru, but I would appreciate if I didn't have to listen to your boyish, smoke-charred voice any longer. Now just shut up and watch." Shizuru felt cold inside, hearing that youthful voice attacking her. That wasn't her Sakyo...that wasn't him at all.

The horrible wraith shoved Keiko hard against the wall, cracking her shoulder from the force of the impact. Gripping the injured shoulder and squeezing it hard enough to envoke a scream of pain from her, he looked into her tearful, hurt eyes. He saw the terror there, the confusion, and it made him smile internally. There were few things he enjoyed such as that beautiful sight of agony.

"You should consider this an honor," Shizuru heard her voice speaking, beyond her control. "Out of all the girls in the world She could have chosen, She chose you. You're going to become something great, Keiko." Shoving Keiko down, letting her fall hard to the cement ground, the creature pulled a small knife out from the pocket of Shizuru's coat. Keiko cracked her knee on the cement, feeling the pain filling her leg, but her eyes were too fixated on the knife to care. She had never in her life been as terrified as she was now.

"...I...I know you..." she whispered silently to herself. She remembered what Yusuke had told her before, of the body jumping wraith that he was dealing with. She remembered when her own body had been invaded by this horrible man, and she knew now, as she stared up at Shizuru, that it wasn't Shizuru she was looking at. It was him. It was Yoshi Tsarakino.

Yoshi pressed Shizuru's hand slowly against the small wooden crate on his left, which Megumi had done him the courtesy of leaving for him to use. Lifting it gently and setting it on the ground, he grabbed Keiko's left leg as she tried to scramble away, and drove the knife into it. She screamed in pain from the invading blade, and Yoshi smiled. As he took a seat on Keiko's chest, pressing her to the ground with Shizuru's weight, he ripped the dagger back up out of her leg. There had been no reason for him to do this, other than his own sick, perverse pleasure at watching her cry.

"The Flesh, formed of a vessel of innocence, shall be Her hand and guide Her back," he recited as Shizuru's left hand pressed Keiko's tear-stained head softly to the ground, holding it there. She sobbed aloud, trying desperately to get away from him, while Shizuru screeched and struggled inside to try and wrench control of her body back from Yoshi.

"The Eye, echoing its shadows of demonic power, shall open the way and carve the passage for Her." Yoshi slit the knife carefully across Keiko's forehead, a shallow cut, as she screamed and cried to get free. Then, reaching into the crate, he removed the stolen Jagan he had taken, first from Reikai and again from Makai, and pressed the eye against the cut he had slit. The tendrils and tendons of the Jagan came to life, grappling at the bloody opening and forcing it open as she screamed in agony. It was rumored in Makai that recieving a Jagan was the most painful experience any person could endure. Keiko now found herself forced through the procedure, as it ripped and tore its way deeper, digging through her skull to reach its tendrils at her brain.

"The Blood, the pure, sanctified blood of a human psychic, shall lubricate Her entrance and sanctify the Flesh for Her return." As Keiko screamed, as the Jagan continued to dig its way into her skull, Yoshi took the knife and stabbed it into Shizuru's left hand. This psychic would do just as he needed, and as Keiko screamed, he took advantage of her open mouth to drip Shizuru's blood down her throat. Forcing her palm over Keiko's mouth, he let the blood seep into her mouth, forcing her to swallow it and lubricating the entrance he needed for the final step.

"And the Heart, torn from the Queen herself, shall join with the Body, the Eye, and the Blood, and make them Hers." Finally, when he felt she had consumed enough blood, he removed Shizuru's hand from her mouth and returned it to the box. Taking a small object from the box and coating it in the blood, she held it up for Keiko's terrified eyes to see. It was scarcely larger than a quarter, a small, black heart that somehow still continued to beat. Her eyes barely registered it, for the agony of the Jagan was continuing to grow, as it had ripped its way through her skull and was now wrapping its tendrils around her brain. This was by far the most excruciating part of the procedure, as it wrapped and entwined and forced the brain to prepare a space for it. And as she screamed from the horrible pain, Yoshi forced the small heart into her mouth, forcing it shut and massaging her throat in order to force her to swallow the horrible, throbbing organ.

As the Jagan worked at its installation, Keiko could feel herself passing out. The pain was horrible, too much for her to take, and she knew she was fading fast. "Yus...uke..." she whispered through broken sobs, before consciousness finally abandoned her, with blood drying in her throat and the horrible demon heart beating in her stomach. She was left, motionless and struggling to live, in the arms of the human devil Yoshi Tsarakino.

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CRASH

Kurama burst through the window, half to get away from Megumi's horrible shrieking palm, and half to get back towards the alley where Keiko had screamed from. Balance was not on his side, however, as the shriek had left him disoriented and dazed. Stumbling, his left foot ran out before his right, and he fell hard to the paved sidewalk in the center of five people.

"Dude, are you–" The window blew outwards, and the horrible shriek assaulted the passersby in the street. Megumi rolled out the window Kurama had blown through, with the hand on her mouth pointed straight in Kurama's direction. It was a direct and very painful attack she had mastered. She had seen the kinds of abstract maneuvers many apparitions and demons employed, and she always preferred something more offensive.

"Rose Whip!" With the strength he could muster while fighting off the horrible noise, Kurama grasped the rose from behind his ear and lashed it at Megumi. Transforming as it flicked into a long, thorny plant whip and lashing it against Megumi's leg. The attack caught her offguard, yanking her off her feet and onto the ground. This also served the purpose of shutting off her shrieking palm.

As much as Kurama wanted to spend more time trying to figure her out, Keiko needed him now. Gaining back his equilibrium, Kurama raced ahead of Megumi as she struggled with the thorny entanglement on her ankle. Bounding over a car that was in his path, he skidded into the alley, where he found Shizuru holding the limp form of Keiko.

"Shizuru?" Kurama asked carefully, not certain what was happening. "What are you doing here?"

"You know," Shizuru smirked, "I could just go with pretense and try to bluff my way through this. But honestly, I've got what I want and you're not going to stop me."

"Yoshi," Kurama's voice grew colder. "Why are you here, and not in Makai? I am certain you're aware that Yusuke and the others–"

"Are on their way to an empty castle belonging to a dead cult," Yoshi finished. "Sorry, fox boy, but I've got what I came for, and your little pals can go ahead and storm the place for all I care. Those fools have served their purpose."

Taking a step forward, Kurama spoke once more. He wanted to get as much information out of this as he could, but he knew he couldn't press it. Men like Yoshi loved to hear themselves talk, but he couldn't make Yoshi too suspicious of his intentions. "Getting Yusuke out of the way? They were a distraction to weaken our defenses around Keiko."

Yoshi laughed, a chilling sound coming through Shizuru's voice. "You don't miss a beat, do you, foxy? Everything I need is right here in these trembling arms of your idiot friend's sister."

"Why Keiko?" That was a question that was aching at the back of Kurama's mind. "I know better than to chalk this up to simple coincidence. What do you need Keiko for, and why her, specifically? Surely there are other girls that would be easier to acquire for...whatever you have in mind for her...than the Spirit Detective's girlfriend."

Yoshi smirked, and Kurama knew that his attempt had worked. Yoshi was going to speak. "I needed an innocent with ties to a psychic. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find an innocent person in this world? ESPECIALLY one with that kind of a requirement? I spent well over a year searching for the right person, and every damned time, I failed. Then you boys came along. It was at the Dark Tournament, watching from the sky, that I saw her. A sweet, innocent young thing, perfect for...my purposes...and with exactly the kind of ties I needed. You guys made it too easy."

"Why, Yoshi? What do you need with a psychic?" Kurama was pressing for more answers, but Yoshi looked away. Kurama felt the movement above, felt eyes beading down on him, and before he knew it, Megumi dropped from the rooftop. She had used the height to bypass him, dropping behind Yoshi.

"You know," Yoshi handed Keiko's limp form to Megumi as he spoke, "I really think that's enough for today. Share time is over, Kurama. It's time to take our leave."

Kurama tensed, his fists clenching and his legs readying to pounce. He wasn't going to let them take her. "And you believe I will let you walk away with Keiko? That I will not make any effort to stop you?"

"Actually," Yoshi slipped the knife back out of Shizuru's coat pocket, tilting it carefully in Kurama's direction. "Yes, I do. I know for a fact that you will let us walk away with Keiko. That you're not going to chase after us. I've been keeping tabs on you. All of you. Let's say I know you...inside and out." These words chilled Kurama. He knew better than to question whether that was simple metaphor or not. "This has been in motion for over ten thousand years, Kurama. What hope do you have of stopping it?"

Megumi took off, leaping up to the rooftop and racing away. Kurama moved to chase after her, but Yoshi put Shizuru between him and his pursuit. "You do not intend to fight me, I hope. Shizuru may be many things, but a skilled and talented demon fighter is not among them."

Yoshi smirked. "You misunderstand. Let me tell you why you're not going to chase Keiko." Shizuru snarled and barked at him within, but he had her completely within his power. He could feel her defiance, feel her strength, but it was no use. Holding the knife up in Shizuru's hand, his eyes bored holes in Kurama's soul. "There is only one of you, Kurama. And you can't be everywhere at once." With those words, he plunged the knife straight into Shizuru's left breast, driving it into the undersection at an upwards slant.

Yoshi gritted Shizuru's teeth, feeling her pain as the blade rested within her body, but still pressing until the hilt touched her shirt. Shizuru grunted within from the pain, trying not to let Yoshi know how bad it hurt her. But he could see beyond her images. He could reach out and touch her soul if he was so inclined; he was not deceived. "If I know my anatomy as well as I think I do, I've just pierced Shizuru's lung. You have a bit of a healer's touch to you, Kurama. You could save her life, if you are so inclined. A knife dug in this deep, you're probably all that could at this point."

"You..." Kurama was lost for words, probably the first time in a long time, staring at Yoshi gripping the knife in the body he wore.

Yoshi grunted, and coughed up Shizuru's blood. "What's it going to be, fox boy? Two options. Either let Megumi and I get away with Keiko, or let Shizuru die here and now. Make your choice, friend." With those words, Yoshi twisted the blade, ripping and tearing at the muscular structures within, before releasing Shizuru from his grip.

Kurama raced forward as Sizuru fell to her knees, putting his arms around her and laying her down on her back. The young woman coughed up blood from the horrible wound Yoshi had left in her body. With her lung pierced, she needed his full attention now, as she was already having difficulty breathing. Blood was soaking into her lung and drowning her, and Kurama knew he would have to work fast if he wanted to save her life.

"...Ku...ra...ma..." was all she could get out, as she struggled against the horrible wound. She was trying so hard to be strong, trying not to need help, but she knew inside that what Yoshi had just done to her was worse than anything she'd lived through before. She felt cold and dead inside, for the way he had used her. He had played on her emotions, manipulated her into mutilating her best friend, and then attempted to kill her. Now...she felt darkness coming, felt herself beginning to fade. All she could do now was trust her life to Kurama's healing knowledge, as she passed from consciousness.

Kurama had already made his choice. Yoshi had been right, he would not pursue Megumi and Keiko. Yoshi had played the whole team like an instrument, deceiving them into sending the brunt of their forces away, then playing on Kurama's refusal to do nothing as his friend dies. He had set this whole thing up around them while giving them inconvenient threats to focus on, to keep them from seeing the true danger behind it all. And now, Keiko was in his hands for...Kurama had no idea what. For something that he needed Keiko for.

He had been willing to sacrifice a human life for this. And he had carried it out with nearly expert precision, positioning his pieces and keeping Kurama distracted so as to get to Keiko. The days of the bumbling, self-delusional idiot were over, Kurama knew. Another mask, another manipulation to make them not understand the true measure of their enemy. They had believed him weak, believed him to be little more than an idiot and a fool, a powerful fool but a fool nonetheless. And he had allowed them to–no, helped them to believe that, so that they would not expect his attack to be as devious as he had planned it.

Kurama would never underestimate that wraith again. He knew, as his hands worked furiously at his herbs, as his energy flowed into Shizuru's body to try and keep her alive, that the days of preparation and cautious watch were over. The attack had begun, and Yoshi had done it in the most cowardly and sadistic way he could.

He had been willing to sacrifice a human life, willing to kill Shizuru for the sake of his purpose. He had given up all right to claim the name of 'human', Kurama felt. He had known many demons in his life, known all manners of vile creatures and merciless beasts. Yoshi was truly a devil to be held with the rest of the worse, a monster for which there was no name. Kurama had worked long and hard to live up to the title of human. Yoshi no longer had any right to wear it. Kurama could feel it welling up inside him as he worked at Shizuru, could feel a sense of something he had not felt before.

He had many enemies in the past. He'd fought and killed time and time again, but never against anything he felt so strongly towards. Even in the Tournament, even fighting Karasu in the final round, he ran on fear and fought on survival instincts. But this...this was something more. More than fear, more than survival, more than a goal. This was something that threatened to consume him, something that he had always been above before.

For what may have been the first time in his life, Kurama felt true, unbridled hatred.


	26. Chapter 25: To Die Alone

**Chapter Twenty-Five: To Die Alone**

The sun fell lower in the sky, but for three figures lost in the foothills of the Mountains of Wrath, the onset of night was barely noticeable. Skidding down the mountain with several dozen lesser beasts nipping at their heels, they raced on, trying to make the best time they could. They had already been in this horrible world for three days now, and it was beginning to grate the last nerves of the two human travelers.

Darting left, breaking away from the group, the three-eyed demon Hiei whisked too fast for the two humans' eyes to register, bounding to the top of a thirty foot boulder and resting his right hand on the hilt of his sword. He could see the numbers of the beasts that chased them, and could make out their shape with ease. Quadripedal demons, with blue, rubbery skin reminiscent of the dolphins of the human world. Their legs ended in sharp, vicious spiked claws that gripped the dirt beneath their feet, but Hiei knew better than to assume those were their weapons. Nay, that honor belonged to their tails, arcing up over their bodies and tipped with a spike that oozed their venom. Goroma demons, harmless alone but deadly in packs.

There were at least thirty, but Hiei knew better than to worry. He could take these lesser fools with ease. All he needed was his sword, and he should be able to move fast enough that their tails would never come into question. Tensing to move, he–

"SHOTGUN!" Yusuke Urameshi had ceased to run, now that the creatures were grouped together. Channeling his spirit energy into his fist and bracing it by pressing his upper arm into his side and holding it down with his left hand, he fired off a barrage of spirit blasts, hundreds of weaker incarnations of his Spirit Gun from his glowing, blue fist. The bolts went everywhere, completely without aim but firing in such massive quantities that aim became a trivial matter.

As Hiei watched, the beasts were blown apart, one after another forced back into the group by the sheer number of shots Yusuke was firing. Heads smashed from bodies that were blown through by the force of the shots gave way for the shotgun blasts to strike at the ones in the back. It lasted only ten seconds, but in the aftermath of Yusuke's attack, only three were left standing, and then only by sheer fortune.

A rather efficient tactic, Hiei noted. Rather than firing a concentrated Spirit Gun, he instead spread it to a wider range and a larger number of shots. Against a foe such as Toguro or, more importantly, himself, it would prove entirely useless. But for groups of weaker adversaries, it was an effective technique for thinning the herd.

The three surviving Goromas limped back towards their den, battered and broken from the assault. Hiei knew they would not be returning. It was time to turn his focus towards more important matters. "Kuwabara? Did I not explicitly tell you not to touch anything?" With the horde gone, all that remained was sheer agitation.

"It was just a BERRY! What was I supposed to think would happen!" The Goroma demons, Hiei knew, often used vegitation to attract idiots. Traps consisted of a few berries, leaves, sometimes even an entire tree to lure in prey. When one took the bait, a loud shriek would go off to bring in every Goroma within two hundred yards.

Hiei sighed, his two . What had he done to be saddled with such an idiot? "Allow me to put this as clearly as I can. Everything here wants to kill you, and if you insist on making an inconvenience of yourself, I will leave you to the next batch of hounds and finish this on my own. There is no time to deal with every little problem your worthless hide can get after us."

"What'd you say, shorty!" Kuwabara raised his fist, shaking it ever so slightly at Hiei. "You wanna fight? Come on, we'll settle this right here!"

Hiei merely scoffed, resuming his walk down the mountain. He stopped for only a moment, throwing his gaze back at Yusuke, who was busily struggling with Kuwabara to keep him from picking a fight that Yusuke knew would kill him. "Detective? We are near the base of the mountain. I expect to see you there in one hour, with or without the fool. Otherwise I will leave the both of you behind, and let you deal with the Forest of Lost Souls yourselves." With those words, Hiei vanished in a flash of speed, whisking down the mountain on his own. He needed to get away from Kuwabara for a while; he was already fighting back a desire to murder him in his sleep.

Yusuke, still holding back Kuwabara, only sighed. This trip was wearing on all of them, and he could tell Hiei was serious about abandoning them. This was Hiei's home world; he didn't need Botan to tell him that Hiei would consider staying, and leaving them to figure things out for themselves. "Some guide he's turning out to be."

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Darkness. Everywhere darkness. The world lay in a faint distance, far away from her. So stupid. She had been deceived...no, she had allowed herself to be deceived, and now she was dying for it. She had just wanted...she had wanted so badly for him to be real. So badly to see him again. She had missed, had intentionally bypassed every sign, every action, every moment where it wasn't him, for the sake of preserving her hope that she had him back in her life.

Sakyo...why did he have to go? Why couldn't he see that she needed a man like him in her life. Why couldn't she have at least one thing good...why did everything nice that happened to her always turn into another way to cause her more pain? She was cursed...she had to be. Sakyo passing into her life twice now, only to be torn away in the most brutal way he could. Her parents...

"Why did you go..." If she could cry, she would. She felt more alone now than she ever had before. Here in this dark, empty void, she would die the way she always knew she would. Alone, without anyone she loved. Sakyo had been a lie, she knew this now. He had been nothing more than a means of using her, to achieve some horrible goal. Keiko...she didn't know what happened to Keiko. What if she was out there somewhere, dying in a horrible black void of her own? All because of her...

"...Kazuma..." Her brother was now in god knows where. Off to some nasty demon world, to get torn to shreds by one of the horrible monstrosities she had seen at the Dark Tournament. Probably laying in a ditch right now, bleeding to death because he was too stupid to fight back. She should never have let him go...she should have fought harder, that's what she should have done. She should have...

"Okay, geez, stop nagging at me!" She could hear his voice now. His defiant, angry voice. She had always tried too hard, she realized. She had forced him away, and she wasn't even certain why.

"Why are you always getting on my case about this!" She didn't know why. She just...she didn't want to lose him. Why couldn't he see? Why was he so stupid that he couldn't see? Was he...no, it wasn't his fault. She knew, deep down, it had never been his fault. He wasn't stupid...she had pushed him away.

She wanted him to see. She wanted so badly for him to know, but it was too late now. She'd been wrong before. She wouldn't be crying. There isn't a strong enough word for the tears she'd be pouring, as she lay dying in her void. She didn't want to die now. She didn't want to...not like this. Not alone. Her greatest terror had always been to die alone.

Would anyone even come to her funeral? When they buried her...would anyone even care she'd died? She had ostracized and alienated her brother...she had no friends to speak of. She...would she even get a funeral, she wondered? People had to care enough for her to be buried. Did she even have that?

No...she couldn't go now. She couldn't...please, not now. Not like this, please...she wanted so badly to live. She wanted to see her brother again...wanted to show him that she did care, that she loved him. She couldn't die before she at least got that chance. She couldn't...no, she had to live. Please, she pleaded to herself in the dark void, let her live, don't let her die, please.

She couldn't die. She couldn't. She...

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"Sir?" Botan stood before Koenma's desk, in the palace of Reikai. There was a pained expression on his face that frightened her; something big had just happened, something that she knew was not good. "You sent for me?"

Koenma was silent a moment, seated in his chair. In his toddler form, the stoic silence was all the more frightening for her. "Something has happened, Botan. I need you to go to Makai at once, and tell Yusuke. This is not good."

"Okay," Botan drew in a deep breath. "What do you want me to tell him? What's happened?"

Koenma turned his eyes up, looking straight at Botan. The serious manner of speaking was unlike him. It frightened her. "I've just gotten word from Kurama, in the human world. We have a traitor. One of my Reapers, Megumi, who temporarily took your place with Yusuke until I returned you to the team, has sided with Yoshi Tsarakino. With her help, they have captured Keiko, but Kurama could not say why. From Yoshi's words, it sounded completely unrelated to her relationship with Yusuke, so the obvious answer is out."

Botan was speechless. She had never liked Megumi, the woman was too stuck up for her tastes, but a traitor? This...Koenma was right, this WAS bad. Among other things, Reikai Grim Reapers were trained to open portals between the three worlds, so that they could bring spirits from the human world back into Reikai. Even without Yoshi's psychotic whims, that alone was dangerous if she was going into Makai. "Sir...are you sure she's betrayed us?"

Koenma nodded his head, sadly. "I'm afraid she has. I've tracked her movements, and she's opened a portal into Makai recently. Here, take this with you." He slid a small sheet of paper across the table to Botan. Upon looking at it, she found she could barely make it out. Numbers and letters and numerous strange symbols she had never seen before, symbols written in the demons' native language. "Give that to Hiei; he can figure it out. The bug Megumi's wearing spewed that out when I checked for her current location."

Botan turned her head up from the paper, confused. "A bug, sir? You knew she was going to turn on us?"

Koenma sighed. "Not hardly. I always figured she was too uptight and job-oriented to do something like this. No, I have bugs on all my Reapers. It helps me keep track of whether or not they're doing their jobs or not. I never hoped I'd have to use one like this."

Botan nodded her head, looking back down at the paper. She supposed that did make sense. He wouldn't be the first employer to–hey, wait a minute! Her face turned back up to Koenma, and he could see the anger beginning to burn. "Wait, I'M A REAPER! Do you have one of these things on ME!"

"Um..." Koenma was lost for a response. A wrong answer might get him castrated. "Of course not," he exclaimed quickly. "When you took the job as Yusuke's assistant, I didn't feel the need to keep it any longer." He was lying out his arse and he knew it, but it worked for the time being.

"Sure," Botan narrowed her eyes. She wasn't buying a word of it. She'd be certain, next time she showered, to scrub extra thoroughly and make sure it wasn't somewhere on her body. "Wait, what about Kurama? Why didn't he stop Megumi from taking Keiko? I mean, she's a Reaper. I'd think she wouldn't be too much of a challenge for a boy of his ability."

Koenma sighed. This was the part he had especially not been looking forward to. "Kurama didn't stop her because of Shizuru. She's...Tsarakino hurt her. He used her to force Kurama to waste time taking care of her, rather than pursuing them."

"...is she okay?" Worry pent up inside of Botan now. Shizuru was one of her human friends, one of few she had outside of Reikai. They'd been at the Dark Tournament together, with Keiko and Yukina, cheering for their boys. If Shizuru was hurt...she didn't know what she'd do.

Koenma sighed. "She's not doing well, Botan. Tsarakino jammed a knife into her right lung. That's not something you get up and walk away from. Kurama wouldn't talk much about it. I don't know much more than that. From what I've heard, she's dying."

Botan was struck without words. Her mind raced at what Koenma was saying, and she was terrified for her friend. "...no..." She felt herself starting to tear up, but she knew she couldn't cry. Not now. She had a job she had to do, but...it hurt. She had escorted Genkai to Reikai once before, when the younger Toguro brother killed her. That had been heart-wrenching, and Botan only knew Genkai through watching her train Yusuke and watching her fight at the Dark Tournament. Shizuru...Shizuru was a good friend to her. She couldn't bear to do that again, especially with someone so close. Not again.

Koenma knew from Botan's silence how she felt. He hadn't wanted to tell her, but she had to find out some time. "There is nothing we can do for her right now, Botan. It's all in Kurama's hands. You need to find Yusuke, and give that paper to him. He needs to know what's happening, before any more deaths are added to Tsarakino's crimes."

"...I...yes, sir..." She had to trust in Kurama now. She knew Koenma was right, but it was hard. She wanted to race back to the human world, wanted to find Shizuru and help her. But she had a job to do, and she knew it. She could only pray that, when she returned, Shizuru would not be there in Koenma's office awaiting an afterlife.

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"No, mother. I am just fine. I...yes, mother, I have eaten. Please, don't worry yourself over me. ...no, mother, I don't know when I'll be home. The school said it would be at least a week for this. ... I thought I told you, mother. It's a special trip, for the gifted students. Don't worry, I'll call and check in. ... Yes, mother. Yes...yes, mother. Okay. Thank you, mother. I'll talk to you later. I love you too. Good night."

That voice...she knew that voice. So familiar...where was that voice coming from? Was this death? Were there voices in death? Where...footsteps now. She could hear them...something was coming closer. Where was it? So dark. So quiet. So empty.

That voice...where had she heard that voice? Why...why did it sound so...wait...no, she knew that voice. It was coming back...she knew it. "...K...Ku...ra...ma..." And that was her voice. She had heard it...she knew she'd heard it. It had been hard, though. So hard, but...yes, she knew that voice.

"Shizuru?" There it was again. There was the voice.

"...Ku...ra...ma..." she strained again, her voice struggling to work, but it was working. She knew it was working, she got it. Pain...so much pain, but her voice was working. The harder she pushed, the more it hurt. But things were working. She felt a twitch...her finger had moved–no, she had moved it. She moved a finger. And she felt more pain, but...but she did it.

"...Kurama..." she spoke more fluidly, her words starting to take form. And then a cough, a horrible, throat-tearing cough that ripped up from her lungs. She could taste iron in her mouth, now. There was something there...some liquid that had come up from her lungs when she coughed. It was on her lips, on her chin...it tasted metallic.

She heard him speak again, heard his soft voice in her ears. "Careful. Don't push yourself too hard." She felt something beginning to press down on her hand, but she couldn't make it out. It felt fleshy, and it covered hers easily, gripping it ever so gently. "You're going to be okay. Just rest for now.

Straining, struggling, her eyelids slowly opened. The darkness went away, but in its place was a blur of color. "...where..." The blur was starting to take more form. A splotch of red...dashes of yellow and orange...all swirled together, but beginning to unswirl. She still couldn't see well enough to make anything out, but it was starting to get better.

"It's okay," Kurama spoke gently. "We're back in your apartment. You've been out for two days now. I told Koenma what happened yesterday, and I've been taking care of you since." She felt something soft beneath her, something gentle, and there was something on top of her. Her bed...her blanket...she was back home, back...back home.

Tears started to fill her eyes, but she didn't want to cry here. Not in front of him. Not like this. She had been so scared...so scared, but she didn't want him to see it. "...Kurama...why..." Why was he here? Why was he helping her?

"I am afraid I don't understand what you mean." His voice was so soft, so quiet. She still couldn't make anything out, not with her eyes, but she knew that blur of red was him. She let them close, let them fall shut as they were not doing her a thing of good. Maybe later, she'd try again. Her body hurt so badly...every time she breathed, it felt as though her chest was burning. Yes...yes, she would try again later. For now, she just needed to rest.

Why was Kurama here? She didn't say another word, just fell back into the quiet rest. She didn't know why he was here, but somehow, it made her feel better. She could feel the tears rolling down her face, but she found herself not caring anymore. She could cry here. Even if it was only Kurama, one of her brother's friends sitting her beside her, at least she wouldn't have to cry alone.


	27. Chapter 26: Nightmares and Prophecies

**Chapter 26: Nightmares and Prophecies**

"Yoshi?" A voice echoed through the corridors of the vast, mosaic residence. "Yoshi, where are you?" The empty manor carried the sound for what felt like miles, illuminating the dark places with its gentle worry. The place had stood empty for ages; a relic from a time long past, with untold secrets still hidden in its depths.

The small boy didn't care, however. Though his mother called for him, he was excited to be exploring this new, musty old place. His footsteps echoed on the cold, stone floor as he walked down the corridor, his right hand out to the side, pressed against the blocks of granite that made up the walls.

He passed columns as he walked, large monuments of marble, two on each side of the small hallway, with ten feet between each pair. The little boy had to look up to see the adornments, set at the top of each seven foot column, but they were truly incredible to see. Each decorated with solid, black onyx, fashioned in the form of a serpent's head, with its maw open and two long, thick fangs crafted from solid gold hanging down out of the creature's mouth. Rubies set into the eyes of the snakes gave them a devilish glare, and as the boy walked, it felt as if these glowing red eyes turned to watch him, and he thought every now and then that he could see water dripping from the golden fangs, as if the serpents, alive and hungry, were simply waiting for an opportunity to strike.

There were few who had dared to come to this place, afraid for the horrors said to lay within. A few lost souls had made attempts on the wealth of the structure, and the ornately crafted treasures often rumored to be held within. None had ever returned, however, and the manor had been sealed off. Many believed it to be haunted.

Most children avoided it out of fear of the ghosts said to dwell in the house of evil, and in time it had faded into obscurity, an urban legend to keep the locals away and nothing more. The young boy now walking its corridor was the first to set foot in this terrible place in over a hundred years, and the clusters of dust he kicked up as he walked only served to prove it.

"Come on, Yoshi, this isn't funny!" Curiosity spurred the boy onward, approaching a strong, wooden door at the end of the hallway. Steel framed the door, and a cast iron ring served for a handle, to swing the door open or to push it shut. Yoshi's curiosity was piqued further by the door; even though his family's business carried him and his baby sister everywhere in the country, this entire structure was unlike anything he had ever seen in Japan.

Taken further by his curiosity, the boy gripped the cold handle in his small, delicate fingers, before pulling on the massive obstruction with all the strength he could muster. The door, however, stood firmly shut. Even against the boy's strongest efforts, the door simply refused to budge. His muscles strained and his arms began to ache, and he pulled with all the effort he had, but to no avail. It was simply too heavy.

"Yoshi! Come here right this second!" Dejected, beaten, the boy's strength finally waned. Releasing his grip on the strong, heavy door, he started slowly back down the hallway, dragging his feet against the cold, hard stone. Maybe one day, when he was older, perhaps he could come back to this place and find out what lay beyond the door that would not open. Maybe some day...

"**_Yoshi..._**"

A voice whispered in the stagnant air, and the little boy stopped firmly in his tracks. Fear gripped his heart when he heard the quiet, hissing sound traveling from the door behind him.

"**_Yoshi...come to me, Yoshi...come..._**"

Turning back towards the door, the child was terrified to see it slowly begin to swing open, leaving in its wake an open doorway for him to pass through. A cold wind blew through the hallway, ushered from the room that had laid still for ages unknown, and the boy knew a fear unlike anything he had ever known. Something inside was beckoning for him to come, calling to him to enter, and he was afraid for what it could mean. He'd heard stories of ghosts and monsters that were rumored to haunt this place; had he fallen into one's trap?

"I...I don't..." the boy stammered, but the voice came once more.

"**_Come to me, Yoshi...do not be afraid. Come..._**"

A cold chill ran down the boy's spine when he heard the terrible voice, but something about it beckoned him forward. Against all his best instincts, he moved back towards the door, passing his small frame through the massive opening, to face whatever terrifying spirit called out for him to come.

As he passed through the door, he entered into a grand chamber, with at least thirty feet between the floor and the ceiling. There were no other doors decorating this hall, and half the chamber was filled with an image that he had never imagined before. Adorning the far half of the chamber was a structure greater than he could ever imagine, carved of solid onyx rock. A massive black snake lay motionless, with its head raised and its maw open. The head nearly touched the ceiling, and the solid gold fangs carved into the structure were the most beautiful gold he had ever seen before. Its evil, ruby eyes seemed to follow him where he went, and he knew without a doubt that the columns in the previous hallway were merely tokens, tributes to the glory of this massive structure before him.

Any grown man would have been terrified at the sight that rested here in this house of death, but the young boy was not. Though the snake was an imposing and powerful figure, the boy couldn't help but feel drawn to it. As he stepped closer, he saw something at the base, laid against the snake's neck, just below where it raised up to the head. There was a parchment there, something ancient and forgotten, that he felt compelled to see. Crawling beneath the creature's neck, the boy's fingers gripped the scroll, pulling it slowly out for him to see.

It was a strange and ancient parchment, and the dust caked his fingers the moment he touched it. A relic of a time long since forgotten, written by a people who had faded from memory, this was a discovery that no one had laid eyes upon since the dawn of civilization. But the boy was too young to appreciate such a find, and his only thoughts now were the curiosity that drove him to slip the parchment from its place at the base of the snake's neck. Laying it down gently on the floor and sitting down to look at it, the boy's eyes began to follow the ink across. Though he could not understand the strange dialect or many of the characters which had faded from usage in the ages, the images compelled him, as he looked up and down the strange, foreign parchment.

Images of disaster and terror assaulted his eyes, but he found himself compelled to see more. A giant snake tearing a great castle to pieces. A woman with three eyes choking up blood, with the serpent's silhouette behind her. Numerous strange and terrifying beasts, each with the snake risen above them all. There was fire and bloodshed, and horrifying creatures that would make even the strongest of men terrified. And yet the boy was compelled to see more. He had to–

"That's it, Yoshi!" The boy's mother called once more. "If you don't come here right this instant, we're going to Kyoto without you!" The boy was torn now, frightened of being left behind in this scary place. Thinking quickly, he dropped the scroll quickly into his bag, to take it with him. Running back out the door, he promised himself he'd come back here again when he found the time. Maybe some day he would learn to read the characters on the scroll, and could learn more about this terrifying, but wonderful story, with only three words, inked thick and black, that he was able to make out: Black Snake Prophecy.

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"_At the dawning of the new age, what began eons before shall finally find its way back to the surface. When the forces of righteousness stand triumphant in the house of evil, and the temple of conflict and chaos turns aside its bloodlust to allow the just to stand triumphant in its ritual of blood, the world shall bear witness to the greatest testament of chaos, and the road to destruction will reveal itself once more, in the eyes of the serpent._

_Twice scorned and lost to sands of time, the nightmares of ages long forgotten begin to grow, and the horror of the Demon Queen lurks once more in the dark corners of existence. At last, there will come a Champion, an emissary of the Queen. He, alone, shall hear Her voice and feel Her power. He, alone, shall stand where no other can, and walk the roads that apparition and demon alike cannot._

_He will gather the Four, the pieces of lifegiving to restore the nobility of the mighty Queen. The opposing forces shall align themselves in a unity forged in agony and pain. Demon and Spirit, Innocence and Wrath, shall all come together and give birth to the Age of Destruction._

_The Flesh, formed of a vessel of Innocence, shall be Her hand and guide Her back. The Eye, echoing its shadows of Demonic power, shall open the way and carve the passage for Her. The Blood, the pure, sanctified blood of a human psychic, shall lubricate Her entrance and sanctify the Flesh for Her return. And the Heart, torn from the Queen Herself, shall join with the Body, the Eye, and the Blood, and make them Hers._

_And then there will come a time of great uncertainty. Wars will be fought along the surface, and all the forces of demon and spirit will come together in conflict. The righteous shall triumph, and justice shall stand firm against the lingering darkness, and there will be a time of peace. Against the tide of chaos, there will be order, and heroes will stand proudly in their victory._

_The walls will shake, and the worlds will break, and order will suddenly come crashing to a halt. The castle of justice in the land of spirits will be shattered, and order and goodness shall bleed. Where there was once hope, there shall be only death. They will not know Her, they will not see Her, and they will not stop Her until the time has passed. Time shall stand still, but for a single moment, where the one lasting truth shall be known to all who walk upon the three worlds: the Queen has returned._

_Blood will wash over the worlds, and the darkness shall bring war to all who pray for peace. The chambers of the damned shall throw themselves open at the coming of Her Champion, and the armies of darkness shall rise from the pits of the greatest hells. Their war will be merciless, and their wrath shall be unmatched, save for that of the Queen Herself. Soon, there will be no life left in the worlds. Only death._"

Twelve years had passed since that fateful day, and since then the boy had become more than a man. He had become a wraith, a spector that haunted the imaginations of the people, and possibly the first true wraith the world had ever faced. An astral projection gone horribly wrong, he was free of the boundaries of the flesh, free to take any vessel he chose. Now he had returned, as he had so many times before, to her temple in the human world.

On his knees before the statue of the black snake, he slowly furled the prophecy back up before raising his head to look at the mouth. He had taken a camper this time, to bring him to this place. He enjoyed the young, female bodies more than anything, and he never had much trouble finding a new one. The girl's protests were nothing to him anymore; he barely even heard them. "I have done as you asked, my Queen." Bowing the girl's head, he spoke to the silent, empty room. "I don't know if you can still hear me now, where you've gone. But everything is being prepared. It's almost time. You've waited for so long, but now it's almost time."

A deep breath, and a moment of silence as he contemplated the events that had gone by in the past couple days. He had returned to this chamber so many times before, during his harder crises. Over the past three years, this place had become a second home to him, where he could let down his guard and be free of his burdens. He'd been strong for a very long time, and he knew his queen was proud of him. Slowly rising back to his feet, he forced the girl's mouth into a faint smile.

If his followers could see him now, they'd be shocked. The great leader of their order, the head of everything and the mastermind of the queen's rebirth, standing silently just to think. "It's been a long time, your majesty, but it's almost ready. One day...maybe one day you can show me how to be stronger. Teach me how to be powerful, like you." No response came in this chamber, as he

knew none would. He was speaking now more to himself than anyone else, and he knew it.

"Maybe one day," he said to himself, before turning back towards the wooden door that led into the chamber. "For now...I'll have to be strong on my own for just a while longer. You're not going to raise yourself, after all." One more forced smile, before he stepped slowly back out the door.

"Megumi." A powerful voice echoed through the halls of the temple, catching the former Reaper by surprise. She turned quickly, to find herself looking into the eyes of a young girl, dressed in a green jacket and brown slacks. She knew without having to ask that it was her master, Yoshi Tsarakino, that she was looking at now. "Where is my beast?" He asked without hesitance, and without a care to tact. She knew as well as anyone that he was the boss, and to fall in line. It was a power hierarchy she greatly respected; the lines were very clear and the rungs perfectly established. There was order to it.

Megumi answered without hesitance, speaking directly to the leader whose strength she respected. "I've done as you ordered, Lord Tsarakino. The beast is in the dungeon, waiting for his time. What is your next order?" Yoshi had grown to like Megumi more than most of the others, specifically for her ability to fall in line. She knew where she was on the hierarchy, and he never had to explain his motives.

"My next order is for you to stay here, Megumi." Yoshi turned the girl's head to the side, thinking to himself. "I need to return to the temple in Makai. See how Kitrone is handling things, and make sure that the Spirit Detective finds himself dead. Once he's been dealt with, we start the attack. I'm going to need that beast, though; that creature is pivotal to the war. You are to take care of it, Megumi. Keep it...well fed..."

Megumi didn't even have to ask what Yoshi meant by that. "Yes, sir. How long should I plan on waiting?"

"One month," Yoshi said. "It will take one month for the beast to be at full strength, after his ride. After that, we strike. You'll be here for one month, so make yourself comfortable. Any further questions?"

"No, sir," Megumi spoke neutrally. "I understand perfectly. If anyone comes too close to the temple, I think my Banshee Fist should be able to neutralize it. More food for the beast."

"Good," Yoshi smirked, his trademark cocky smirk. "Sigure did a good job installing those. I'll have to remember to send him an...I don't know...a fruit basket or something. Do they make demonic fruit baskets?" Yoshi was silent a moment as he contemplated this question. "Eh, anyways, I need to get going. I trust you'll take care of everything."

"Um..." Megumi started to ask, "What...what should I do with your current body?"

Yoshi laughed, a sound that somewhat bothered Megumi every time she heard it. He had the creepiest laugh, filled with about as much boyish charm as a coat rack, made even creepier by the girl body he often infested. "I just told you to feed the beast, didn't I?"

Megumi blinked for a moment, registering the words. "Oh...right. Of course."

Yoshi stepped closer, looking right up at Megumi, the girl's face just under her chin. "Do I detect hesitance, Megumi?" Worry attacked Megumi's heart for a moment, but she was surprised at the tone with which Yoshi spoke. There was no anger or distrust in the voice he used; rather, there was amusement in it.

"No, sir," Megumi responded quickly. "Just...doing a bit of adapting still."

"You can't let it get to you," Yoshi smirked. "Remember, we're going to change the worlds. There will be war and chaos on an unimaginable scale before we're done. We're trying to create a GODDESS, and the Queen will want her throne back. There will be a war for that, and untold amounts of blood are going to be shed. That is the reality of our responsibility." He turned the girl's head back towards the chamber where he'd come, thinking. "In which case, what's a few lives destroyed? They'd be lost anyway when the war comes."

"Sir..." Megumi struggled only a little with Yoshi's words.

"In the end," Yoshi laughed, "it's all about power. We have it. We are Her elite, Her chosen, Her soldiers in the war. Don't worry too much for the weak, Megumi. They live to be devoured. That's how it always works." It was a strength she could admire, a strength Koenma and the others had lacked. She long respected Yoshi for his strength, even if she was still struggling a bit with his complete lack of respect for anything even resembling compassion.

In the end, she realized, the man was dedicated. Completely and absolutely dedicated to his queen, at the cost of all else. He had devoted his life to her service, she knew that much. She didn't know the story of his past, but she didn't need to. He told as much with the way he spoke and the actions he committed; he would act, without hesitance and without mercy, on anything the Queen ordered. He was her knight, her emissary, her...

"Now, I need to get going," Yoshi looked back to Megumi. "You know what to do. Get it done." Those were the last orders he gave her in this body, before he released his grip from it. Soon, he was gone, off to find a small rip to take back to Makai. And she was left with the prisoner; with the beast's meat.

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"AAAAAHHH!" Kuwabara raced back towards the campfire, stumbling over a tree root before doing a faceplant into the dirt. The impact shut him up, much to Hiei's eternal gratitude.

"Dare I ask what pathetic reason you have for your horrid wailing _this_ time?" Looking down from the branch of the tree he had chosen as his resting place for the night, Hiei's eyes glared menacingly at Kuwabara. He hated being disturbed, and this had happened too often of late.

Yusuke sighed. Maybe bringing Kuwabara wasn't the best idea; he was a good guy, but he had his moments, and he'd been having too many of them since they'd come to Makai. They had started to build a campfire to rest for the night, in the Forest of Lost Souls. Kuwabara had been sent to find some firewood, but he freaked about being sent into the demon woods alone. "Okay, Kuwabara...what was it this time?"

"There was a-a-a thing...a thing crawled on my foot and-and it had jaws the size of Shorty's hair!"

One venomous glare from Hiei and a resigned sigh from Yusuke later, the Spirit Detective decided he needed to try a different approach. "Look, Kuwabara...there's nothing here, okay? If there is, we'll back you up. Now, if you need someone to go with you–"

"Or you could just try shutting up," Hiei scoffed. "There's no reason to coddle the manchild, Yusuke. Besides," Hiei smirked to himself, "he's probably put us all in danger with his incessant screaming. He'll...wake the trees..." Yusuke raised a skeptical eyebrow, but Kuwabara crawled quickly over to Hiei, desperate to know. "They don't call it the Forest of Lost Souls for nothing, fool. If you continue making that shriek, the tree monsters will wake up. They can be fierce and relentless, and they will not stop until they have devoured you alive."

"Tree monsters!" Kuwabara was about to freak again, but realized the importance of Hiei's words. Clapping his own hands over his mouth, he muttered something unintelligible. "Hvv vz oo ztpp vmm". When all he got was an annoyed look from Hiei, he lowered his hand. "How do you stop them?"

"Oh, I don't know," Hiei laid back, trying to mask the grin that was straining to appear on his face. "They can be fooled; they hunt by searching for things with legs. You can trick them by..." he considered a moment, searching for the stupidest, most outlandish thing he could find... "...sticking your pants to a rock or tree."

Yusuke was struggling not to laugh, while Kuwabara looked back and forth at all the trees around them. This was really mean, but...Makai didn't exactly have too many forms of entertainment, so he decided to let this continue. "Now," Hiei continued, "go look for firewood, or I will kick you out there myself. But remember...if you scream, the tree monsters will eat you."

After Kuwabara had reluctantly gone, Yusuke finally let himself laugh, as he took a seat on a log while waiting for the firewood. "Tree monsters, Hiei? Really?"

Hiei shrugged his shoulders, and returned to his position on the tree branch. "They could exist. Somewhere."

"You do realize," Yusuke started, "that you've condemned us to Kuwabara coming back without pants."

Hiei shrugged his shoulders. "There is nothing that fool could do that could possibly make him look any stupider than he has since we came here. Why should I start caring now?"

"Boys!" A voice from the sky called down, which shook Hiei from his resting place into a sitting position, and made Yusuke turn his head up. "There you are! I've been looking all over!" Swooping down on the oar she had always ridden, the beautiful apparition Botan dropped through the branches, coming to a stop just above the dead fire pit Yusuke had built.

"Botan?" Yusuke started, but was interrupted.

"What are you doing here?" Hiei demanded coldly. "You shouldn't be here, especially now." His voice carried anger, but his eyes betrayed the worry he refused to show outwardly. Makai was a dangerous place, and the Forest of Lost Souls even more so.

Botan spoke quickly and excitedly, trying to deliver her message. "I came to tell you! Something happened back in the human world; it's terrible! Yusuke, you need to–" There came a horrible interruption from the woods, as the red-haired human came barreling back.

"BOTAN!" Kuwabara shrieked. "What are you doing! You shouldn't be talking so loud! You probably woke the trees up...QUICK! GIVE ME YOUR PANTS!"

...a moment passed. Then another. Botan struggled with every ounce of emotional strength she had just to find words to respond. "...I...uh..." Yusuke couldn't help but start laughing, while Kuwabara just looked dumbfounded between him and Botan.

"Uh...what's going on?" he asked, but the only response he got was laughter from Yusuke and blank, speechless expression from Botan.

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"This complicates things," the crocodile snarled, only a hundred feet from the campsite. Tarvus, the crocodile demon, turned his eyes back towards the campsite. "They have another with them...the apparition." A low growl emanated from his throat, before he looked up into the branches where his master lay in wait.

"This changes nothing," the robed demon Kitrone smiled. "Just one more body. I've got the order from Lord Tsarakino, Tarvus. You have your men, and we have our orders. It's time. Lord Tsarakino wants the blue-haired woman, but for the other three..." Disappearing into the darkness of the woods, only her voice lingered for Tarvus, though it was an order he hardly needed. "...leave none alive."


	28. Chapter 27: Captured Souls

**Chapter 27: Captured Souls**

A dark wind blew through the campsite, sending a chill down Botan's spine. With all three boys here, she knew it was time to break the news to Yusuke. She just didn't know how. "Yusuke, listen..." she started, but she didn't know how to finish. He wasn't going to take this well; he was going to be angry, and he became wild and unpredictable when angered.

"Yeah, Botan?" Yusuke propped himself back against a tree trunk.

"I don't know how to tell you this, but..." Botan bit the bottom of her lip. She didn't know quite how to say it, but he had to know. Gathering her strength, she opened her mouth and released the first words that came to mind. "There's something heading this way!"

Before Botan could say anymore, a glowing, red ball of energy whipped past, right underneath her oar. She raised herself up quickly, her eyes watching the energy, as it flew directly into a tree behind her. As the boys turned their attention towards it, the ball struck the tree, causing it to erupt in flames and scattering burning shrapnel everywhere. Botan instinctively rose, covering her face with her arms, while the boys moved out of the way of the fire.

CRACK

A powerful blade split the trees, flying low over the ground and whipping towards the team. Hiei was gone in a flash, and Yusuke acted quick, shoving Kuwabara to the ground before trying to move himself. The whirling blade tore past at a speed Yusuke had only previously seen in his partner, Hiei. His effort to dodge was strong, but the blade still caught him at a glance, tearing open a gash in his chest before flying onwards, bringing down more trees as it flew.

As Yusuke worked to regain his footing, barely fazed by the gash torn in his chest, something powerful loomed overhead. A dark shadow passed through the trees, letting out a squawk that made a lion's war seem trivial. An obvious distraction, and Yusuke turned around to see the blade coming straight back for them.

The Spirit Detective raised his index finger, channeling his energy through it. For a moment, he considered his Spirit Gun, to destroy the blade before turning his attention to whatever had sent it for them. Thinking better, he knew he may need all four of his shots, and instead leapt straight up, grasping a branch above and pulling himself out of the path of the deadly weapon. He could feel the air moving as the weapon slid past, splitting the tree from which he was hanging but missing him by several inches.

Yusuke dropped quickly from the tree, while Kuwabara struggled to his feet. A hulking creature stood in the distance, straight in the path of the deadly weapon. As the boys watched, its powerful claw ripped out forward, catching the weapon with ease and stopping its movement. Finally stopped, they could see the shape of the killer blade, a spinning star with four points, sharpened to a razor on all edges. To have stopped the weapon without being sliced in half, this creature must be powerful.

"Welcome to the Forest of Lost Souls," the beast called, before dropping the hood of the black cloak that concealed its features. Standing powerfully, a reptilian beast with dark, brown scales that lay powerfully across its body. Its glowing, yellow eyes vented its hunger, and the long, scaled snout filled with sharp, deadly teeth could eviscerate a human in seconds. Holding the deadly star in its right claw, the crocodile beast roared powerfully through the night. "My lord has grown weary of watching you. I will enjoy feasting on your carcasses."

Hiei reemerged in the trees, sword drawn. "This must be the welcoming party." Looking down at the crocodile behemoth below, a grin grew across Hiei's face. "I will give you three seconds to beg for your life."

SQUAWK

"One." The avian creature swooped suddenly, in the clearing made by the destruction of the trees. With the cool, dark sky now visible above them, the creature had an opening to dive. With a jaw filled with deadly teeth and the horrible, leathery wings of a bat, the creature, only four feet long, struck at Yusuke, latchings its talons, two rear and two front coming out of its chest, onto Yusuke's torso. "Two." With the proximity providing it an advantage, it bit at his face as he backed up, pushing at the creature with all the strength he had. Desperately trying to break its lock as the creature made a play for his head, he began to channel his spirit energy again.

"Urameshi--" Kuwabara began before something ripped up from beneath him. Three tendrils gripped him, wrapping around his waist and shoulders and tearing him off his feet, forcing him underground.

"Three." Hiei dropped from the branch, moving in a flash. His speed was unmatched; the behemoth couldn't even follow his movements. All he saw before the strike was a flash of metal, before the blade met his shoulder, where the joint met his neck. Time seemed to slow down for Hiei, as his body moved with a speed he knew could not be rivaled; but when his blade connected, there was only a horrible crack of the steel splitting, as the blade shattered upon the beast's hard scales.

Taking advantage of the momentary surprise, the behemoth grasped Hiei with its claw, dropping the spinning blade and raising him up by the throat, snarling. "Fool," the behemoth roared, "I am TARVUS THE UNBREAKING!" Hiei retaliated, channeling the fires of the human world through his arms, not willing to be held at the disadvantage.

The avian predator snapped its jaws only inches from Yusuke's nose, while the Spirit Detective pushed back at its head with his right hand. The beast, however, was not willing to give up its prey so easily, tearing its right front talon across Yusuke's chest, digging it into the gash the blade had torn open before. Yusuke bit his tongue from the pain, drawing his head back and slamming it straight into the head of the demon. His attack succeeded where his hands had failed, cracking the skull of the beast and dizzying it, giving him the opening to wrench it from his body.

Struggling for breath, Kuwabara was drawn powerfully beneath the ground. More tendrils wrapped around his neck and torso, holding him immobile and strangling the breath out of him. As his arms strained to move, he was pulled down harder, until his entire body was submerged in the soft dirt. Darkness pervaded everywhere, and his world was deathly silent until finally he saw it, a deadly, ripping mouth ready to tear him to pieces. Held strongly by fleshy tendrils, his eyes fell in horror on the wooden devil now only a foot away from him. The terrible mouth at the bottom, aching in hunger, surrounded by wooden armor that rose above the surface. Only one thought came to mind, as he screamed. "TREE MONSTER!"

Rising above the carnage, Botan watched helplessly. "Kuwabara!" she yelled as she watched him fall under, before her eyes scanned quickly for Yusuke. But she couldn't see him; finding Hiei in the claws of Tarvus took her entire attention, and she knew she had to do something. "Hiei, I'm–" something struck, something powerful, from behind her. All she saw was a flash of red and blades, before consciousness abandoned her.

Oblivious to the plight of his apparition, Hiei's fists burned hot with the flames of the human world. Slamming them powerfully into the crocodile's body, he struck over and over, his flames lapping at Tarvus's head and snout, his arms, his neck. Finally gripping the wrist of the claw that held him, Hiei's flames slowly burned, trying to singe the claw and weaken its grip. But the behemoth only laughed at his efforts. "I told you," the creature snarled, "I am Tarvus the Unbreaking. My body is indestructible; NOTHING can harm me."

Hiei, both desperate and angry, refused to listen to this. Letting those fires die, he started a new blaze, feeling the darkness flames, the fires of the darkest depths of Makai, begin to swirl on his right arm. He would not be made the fool, and he would not listen to the prattling of an idiot. "You have no idea how tired I am of hearing that claim." It seemed every opponent that faced him seemed to insist on that. He was sick of it.

The avian devil whirled in the air, trying to regain its latch on Yusuke. The Spirit Detective was prepared for it, however, channeling his energy into his entire fist. As the beast dove, he lifted his fist directly in its path, bracing his arm with his left hand. Waiting for it to get close, he called out at the last second, "SHOTGUN!" Hundreds of shots tore out of his fist, blue bullets of spirit energy whipping over and over again, pummeling the bird beast's body. Hammer blow after hammer blow after hammer blow tore into the creature, before it fell, dropping from the sky and hitting the ground hard.

"BLACK..." Enticed, the darkness flames began to grow,

Kuwabara strained under the ground, as the creature pulled him closer and closer to its gaping maw. Its teeth snapped, trying to devour him, while he struggled panicked against its tendrils. "DOUBLE SPIRIT SWORDS!" Two bursts of orange energy grew from his immobile hands, tearing at dirt and tendril alike. Taking advantage of the creature's momentary surprise and the sudden freeing of his hands, Kuwabara struck quickly, lashing his energy blades into its mouth and head. Letting the left drop, he drove the right blade into its mouth. "Sword get longer!" The energy blade grew back, ripping up through the creature's body and breaking free from the stump above, where the spinning blade had cut it before.

"...DRAGON..."

"Hiei, don't!" Hearing Hiei's voice, Yusuke moved quickly towards Hiei and Tarvus. As much as he would enjoy seeing the behemoth devoured by the dragon technique, he couldn't afford to lose Hiei right now. The last time Hiei did this, he went into hibernation for an entire day; Hiei was the heaviest hitter he had. He couldn't afford to be left in the middle of Makai with just Kuwabara.

Before Hiei could finish, Yusuke struck at Tarvus, his spirit energy powering his fists while he rammed them into the beast. Smashing at his head, his body, his snout, striking wherever he could find an opening, he attacked relentlessly in a flurry of punches. But the beast was not fazed by the attacks; it cast Hiei aside quickly, before bringing the back of its claw against the side of Yusuke's face.

A pillar of orange energy burst upwards from the tree stump to their left, and before they knew what was happening, the entire stump exploded. Clawing his way back up, Kuwabara gasped for breath, regaining his composure. "Guh...I'm okay, guys...I'm okay."

Yusuke stumbled back, clenching his fists and readying himself for another attack. Hiei flipped in midair, landing and skidding along the dirt. He reached down and gripped the handle of his sword, ready to channel the darkness flames through it if necessary. Kuwabara stood, gasping for breath but regaining his strength quickly.

Tarvus glanced between the three fighters. The odds were now heavy set against him; even indestructible as he believed himself to be, he did not fancy the thought of facing all three fighters alone. Drawing a small packet from the cloak pocket, he slammed it against the ground hard, causing a cloud of smoke to rise quickly and mask the area. The beast disappeared in the disturbance.

Coughing, Kuwabara was the first to speak when the smoke cleared. "Guh...what the -cough- was that about? I was attacked by -cough- a tree monster!"

A moment passed before Yusuke turned his attention to Hiei. Confused, he asked, "I thought you made those up?"

"So did I," Hiei turned away, his Jagan following the path of Tarvus's escape. "The Forest of Lost Souls has many untold secrets still hidden in its depths. I can't pretend to know everything that lurks in this place."

Rubbing the side of his face, Yusuke grumbled. "Eurr...that thing hits like a bus. What was that about, anyway? Botan, did you catch any thing?" Yusuke looked up, searching for the oar he knew would have been up and away from the action. The sky was dark, the cool night sky easily visible above, but...no answer came. "Botan? You there?"

The lack of a response caught Hiei's attention, and he turned his Jagan away from Tarvus, scanning the sky for Botan. There was nothing, however, but cloud and tree as far as he could tell. She had vanished in the conflict!

"This is bad, isn't it?" Kuwabara spoke the obvious with a master's ease.

"Tarvus..." Hiei clenched his fists, not foolish enough to believe the two events were unconnected. Before Yusuke could say anything, Hiei vanished in a flash of speed, following the path his Jagan showed him. All Yusuke or Kuwabara could do now was to follow.

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"...nnn..." Slowly, gradually, Botan came to. Laid out across a cold, stone floor, her eyes squinted in the darkness. There was no source of light in the chamber she was left in, except a faint, glowing object on the opposite end of the room. Her vision was blurry, and the back of her head hurt with a dull ache, a mild bump from the impact that had brought her down.

The chamber was cold, and she could feel goosebumps prickling across her body. The cold air was rough against her bare skin, and as soon as she could manage to think straight, the first thing she noticed was that her kimono was missing entirely. She was left with nothing to protect her from the cold, and that frightened her more than the darkness. Trying to curl her body together for warmth and modesty, she tried to make out the glowing object in the distance, but her vision was still too fuzzy to see. In her efforts, she noticed something else that frightened her; her wrists and ankles were shackled, wrists to the wall and ankles to the floor. This not only prevented her from moving, it also prevented her from covering herself too much. What kind of sick freak had her here?

"Beautiful, isn't it?" A familiar voice spoke in the darkness, one she had heard a couple times in her life. It took her a few moments to register it; the voice of Atsuko, Yusuke's mother. But why would she be here? That didn't make sense. "Can you see it, or do your eyes still need time to adjust?"

"I...who are you?" she strained, trying to make out the figure to the side. An answer didn't come to her, though, not at first.

"Take this one to the dungeon for now," Atsuko spoke to someone standing with her. Botan first thought that she was referring to her. "Dispose of it when there's time. I no longer need it." It was then, in a moment of horrible clarity, that Botan realized just who was speaking. It wasn't Atsuko...it may have been her body, for some reason that Botan didn't quite know, but...it wasn't really her. It was HIM.

Suddenly light illuminated the chamber, from torches set on opposite ends of the wall. Suddenly illuminated in the darkness, Botan blushed, trying once more to pull her body closer together. She wished he hadn't taken her kimono; there was no reason for him to do that, other than to make her feel weak. But she knew, inside, that making her feel weak was enough reason to him; she remembered the last time he had invaded her mind, and now she was terrified.

Behind him stood the red demon that Botan was only vaguely familiar with. Kitrone, one of Yoshi Tsarakino's subordinates. But Yoshi didn't care to have her attention on that; instead, he wanted her to see something else. "Look at it," he gestured at the glowing pod in the distance. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Botan's eyes could see it clearly in the distance, and she was both horrified and disgusted at once. For in the pod was the fruit of Yoshi's labors, laying dormant and unconscious. The image that assaulted Botan's eyes frightened her; what was happening to Keiko...she could only hope that the boys would get here and stop this before it carried any further. For there was Keiko, slowly changing within the pod, laying unconscious with her eyes closed...all three of them.

"Now," Yoshi smirked, before resting one of Atsuko's delicate hands on Botan's shoulder. The images, the memories, all came flooding back to Botan, and she was more terrified than she had been when she saw Keiko. She struggled, trying to get away, the predatory grin on Yoshi's face terrifying her. She screamed, but no one who cared could hear. She struggled, but she couldn't move. Her efforts were in vain, and the shackles held her firm. As her eyes began to glow a horrible green glow, she could hear his voice whispering in her mind. "It's time to take back what should have been mine."


End file.
